End of All Meaning
by Mrfipp
Summary: A future is not given to you, It is something you must take for yourself, but what if that future is ripped from you before you can even reach out for it? [Route C AU with 2B]
1. Data Corruption

Fipp: I had this idea in my head for a while now, but didn't actually get around to doing anything until I finished some of the shorter stories I've been posting recently.

 **End of all Meaning**

 **Chapter I: Data Corruption**

9S braced himself as the flight unit caught fire, both it and his Pod blaring a number of alarms as to the poor state of the transport, but he didn't need to be told how terrible things were going however, it was evident enough. The moment the fires began to burn away at this body, spread much too quickly for him to bear, he was quick to activate the ejection system and was jettisoned out of flight unit just before an explosion ripped through its frame. It was sent plummeting down in a burning, smoking heap as he fell through the air, his body wildly tumbling out of control before he crashed down onto the concrete of the broken street, rolling a small distance before he came to a stop. Error messages flashed against the HUD of his visor as he pushed himself up to his feet, or at least tried, alerting him to a number of issues in his body that had been damaged by the fall, thankfully however none of them seemed to be too terrible, all of them could be fixed by upping the production of the nanomachines his body.

"Alert: Multiple enemies confirmed."

Mechanical noises reached his ears as he finally struggled his way to his feet, taking in his was surrounded by machines, varying models all around him, each of them with their eyes a bright and glowing red, their attention turned to him. To his side, Pod 153 floated to him, his sword, Cruel Oath, floating below it, ready to be taken by his hand again.

Take it he did, because he did not have time for this. He needed to get to where he had sent 2B. His head began to hurt, trying to process everything that had happened in the past... what was it? It couldn't have even been more than an hour since the assault started, could it? No, it was just too much to think about, not now at least, he could save that for later when they had time to sit down and think about just what had happened. All that mattered right now was that he needed to reunite with 2B. It had been a desperate move on his part, he had hacked into her own flight unit, gaining the attention of the infected YoRHa that had been chasing them through the skies as they descended back down to Earth, and despite her own cries of protest, he had sent her away, hopefully to where she would be safe.

Eventually, the machines fell, each and every one of them.

"Come on," he said out loud, breath heavy and black box loudly humming in his chest. "We have to get to 2B, now." Letting his sword go and having it return to its place at his back, 9S turned away from the sea that stretched before him, dotted with the buildings of the old world and the corpse of the truly tremendous machine that they had fought not even weeks ago. He ran, legs pumping beneath him as he ran up the hill to the enclosed section of the city, where grass grew and water flowed into a large pond, where his exit laid and wait for him.

The moment he stepped between the threshold of the two, dilapidated buildings, a sharp pain filled his head, filling his thoughts with static while his body froze at the joins, weighting him down so suddenly.

"Alert: Virus infection detected," Pod 153 warned as a progress screen showcasing the infection rate appeared in the air next to it. It started off at 1.00% and that number was glowing increasing. "Proposal: Administer vaccine immediately, or initiate self-hacking to remove viral infection."

9S grunted as his feet moved by themselves, almost tripping over his own steps. "When was I-ugh-infected?" Was it when he hacked 2B and cleared out her virus? Back on the Bunker, or maybe just now? He didn't know, right now his top priority was getting rid of it, he lacked any vaccines right now, so hacking he have to be his only course of action. It couldn't be done he right now, more machines were coming for him, each one running at him with the intention of destroying him. As he felt control of his body revert back to him, he quickly bolted forward, dashing between the machines as they struck at him, making sure all their attempts were fruitless as he ran for the pipe that would lead him back to the central area of the City Ruins.

His body seized again, as he made it past the last machine, just as he finally entered the pipe and left them behind, but using the rounded side of the tunnel to support himself, he guided himself further along until he was safety out of the range of the enemy machine lifeforms. When he turned the first corner, he looked back and saw that there was nothing chasing him.

"Time to get this thing out of me," he said to himself, just as he began to hack into his own systems and-

-He screamed, throwing himself back against the wall and tumbled into the flowing water.

"Warning: Self-hack has failed. Hacking software compromised. Virus contamination rate up to 16 percent. Malfunction detected in NFCS circuit."

"What the hell happened?" 9S cried as he crawled back to his feet. Already his vision was starting to glitch. "The virus? Did it-did it already evolve it a way to resist hacking it?" He grunted as he stood himself up against the wall, breathing hard as he picked up his sword. "If I can't hack it, if there's no way to erase it from my systems then that means..."

No, he can't die, not here, not after everything that has happened. He didn't want to die, but the slow but steady progression of the holographic bar next to him filled him with an unease that would soon turn into dread. He needed to find a way to fix this this, try and find some help to...

Still, he can't risk being found, not like this, an infect Scanner was dangerous, able to spread a logic virus just by being near other androids, and if he couldn't...

No. This would work.

"Pod, locate an area where there are no other androids around, somewhere the infection won't spread to anyone else, and-" Another shock through his body, crippling his him, but nonetheless, he continued on forward, pushing himself along further up the tunnel. "And some place where 2B isn't. I can't... let her find me like this. And try and scramble my signal, make sure that I can't be found, not yet at least."

Pod 153 floated beside him, keeping steady with his uneven steps. "Analysis: The area near the abandoned commercial facility meets the desired parameters. Alert: YoRHa unit 9S will sustain serious damage unless the virus is eliminated."

"I know that, I just explained that!" 9S growled, his body suddenly recovering, allowing him to suddenly rush forward, dashing through the water as he desperately tried to make it to the exit as fast as he could. He ignored the growing pain in his head, running around the corners until he could see the light of day shining from the outside, he was just about to sigh in relief when another shock seized his body, another disabling, just as he finally exited the piper. He tripped, falling to the ground, hitting it face first, and as he pushed himself up, he could barely roll out of the way of an attacking machine, the medium biped jumping down on him, slamming its fist where his head had just been. 9S somehow scrambled to his feet, and gripping Cruel Oath in his hand, he made to swing his arm at it-

But nothing happened, his arm could barely move, the limb in question could hardly swing. His NFCS was offline, the magnetic properties that allowed his weapons the hand off the air on his back were disabled, and his own ability to physically strike out had been severally compromised.

The two machines rushed him, and all he could do was command 153 to open fire on them as they rushed at him, the bullets tearing through their bodies, taking out the legs of the first one and leaving it to drag its upper body, while the second one kept going at him, only for 153 to blast its head off with a partially charged laser.

 _Just in time for full mobility to be restored,_ he thought with annoyance.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 21 percent," Pod 153 continued, as he be began to pick up speed again, running along the ruined pathways of the upper ends of the pit.

"Okay, try and see if we can remove the virus with a system reset, I can't do it, so maybe you can."

"Analysis: Unit 9S' previous assessment of virus' progression has indeed proven correct, it is developing its own algorithm with an abnormal speed, thus removal will be difficult."

He looked around, trying to decide which was would be the fastest way to get to the shopping facility, he could either take a left up the trail, following up along the path that lead between it and the Resistance Camp, or maybe cut through crater itself. The former was too risky, he couldn't risk the chance of another android finding him along that route, and there was a was large gap in the road as well, and with how unstable and erratic the control over his body was becoming he wasn't confident that he could make the jump, even with Pod 153 to assist him.

So he jumped down into the crater, making the best of what limited time he had before his body short-circuited again, running over the debris and ignoring the giant machines that stood in the middle of the pit. A small cluster of flying machines hovered toward him, their dark purple and red projectiles coming right for him, but Pod 153's fire was able to suppress their attacks, allowing him get by them. He climbed further up the ridge, where a group of small stubbies took notice of him, they turned towards him, eyes flashing and arms spinning as they slowly charged to him, and while normally even a Scanner like him could take a hit from a stubby, he couldn't risk any damage at this point. He ran past them, making his way further up the trail, sprinting towards the ledge, and jumped, barely grabbing hold of the ledge above him before pulling himself up, freeing him to continue his run.

He only made it a few meters before his body seized again, and the distortions to his vision became worse, with large patches of discoloration flicking around him, distorting the world in glitches. His sound quality had also taken a hit, as there was a soft white noise in the background, filling his head.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 32 percent. Malfunction detected in visual processing system."

"I can see that. Literally I can see that..." He grunted, pushing through the pain that was taking over his body, trying to maintain control for as long as he could.

He didn't see the stubbies until they had knocked him down.

9S cried out as he hit the ground, a new pain radiating through his shoulder and side, but he scrambled up, putting much distance between him and the machines as he could, and thankfully even in this state that was something he could achieve.

A beeping came from Pod 153, and before he could even question it, a message rang out from his support unit.

"The Council of Humanity has a message for all of our _crackled_ fighting on the surface. Today I have wonder _crackled_ "

He wanted to laugh. You're a lie, you don't exist, there's nothing up there to protect, and there sure as hell isn't _wonderful_ down here.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 57 percent. Malfunction detected in FFCS circuit."

Pod 153 cannot fire on his command anymore.

Everything is getting worse, his vision is becoming more unstable, the static is only becoming louder, and the periods where his body will do want he wanted it to do are becoming shorter and more spaced out. This isn't good, but he can still fix it, he just needs time to...

He can still the mall from here, barely due to the compromise of his visuals, but he felt he knew the lay of the land well enough to still have an idea where he was. After a short time, he came across the old rusted metal tower, and he could see nothing between him and the mall, it was so close to him right now, but to him it still felt so far away.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate up to 70 percent. Infiltrating system-protected region."

It's getting worse, his vision is becoming more pixelated, blurring everything he sees until it is an incomprehensible mess, and the static is more deafening, a high-pitched screech joining it, Pod 153's voice is starting to get hard to hear. He had to pull on the collar of his coat because it's already starting to get uncomfortably hot, telling him that he had already started to lose the ability to regulate his internal temperature, which cannot be good for his black box.

With each tiring step, he grew much less confident in his ability to remedy the situation.

Step-by-step he moved, fighting to keep himself upright as his systems were screaming at him, as his head felt like it was going to split open, limping past the tower and over the open field. The bridge was right there, he could make out the shapes in front of him the closer he got to them, and his goal was just beyond this wooden bridge. If he could just get there he could-

9S stopped, his body obeying him seconds later, just as the bridge came into view.

Maybe this was some kind of trick by the logic virus, or something was broken now, but he was certain he was looking at what appeared to be two girls, standing on either side of the bridge, completely identical in appearance, from their black hair to their red dresses, and down to the neutral expression they both shared. The most unnerving thing about them however, was that he could see them crystal clear, entirely unaffected by the errors occurring in his vision.

"Wh-Who are you?" he tried to ask, but he could barely hear himself. His hearing was already damaged, but his vocal box must already be suffering as well. There's just so much crackling and static. "Pod, analyze whoever this... is." A pain shuddered through his body.

"Error: This unit is unable to locate any individuals aside from this tactical support unit, and unit 9S."

"What-t?"

"This is likely a hallucination caused by the progression of the logic virus. Removal of the logic virus is highly recommended, or else current symptoms will become worst."

"But..." 9S looked back to the two girls, who just stood there, unmoving, their eyes trained on him. Was this really the logic virus? Who were they? Why was he seeing this? What was this supposed to mean? Why-

A hundred questions ran through his mind, and he wanted to ask them all and find out any and all answers he could. But...

He cried out again, a long agonizing yell as his body spiked in temperature.

There was no time...

For the first time in 9S' existence, curiosity lost out. He continued on, ignoring the twins as he passed between them and stepped onto the bridge.

"Alert: Virus contamination rate to 90 percent." He pushed on, his body swaying and stumbling in growing agony. Halfway there, he was already halfway there. "Alert: Unusual heat generation in central nervous system. Internal combustion imminent."

9S screamed as heat exploded through out his body, his internal systems frying and burning in a single painful burst, sparks and puffs of smoke filling his vision before everything went gray. His vision was gone, he was blind now.

"Analysis: Abnormality detected in visual sensors. Alert: Deterioration found in black box."

Sigh returned, but everything was gray-scale now, and he couldn't hear anything beyond the barley-audible crackling of Pod 153's voice, only able to catch the few words that could make it to him. He still had subtitles on, so thankfully he wasn't entirely clueless as to what it was saying.

Everything hurt, it was too much, but he kept going, pushing already strained limbs to carry him over the bridge. The other side was just there, just right over there.

"Alert: Damage to data backup system. Said damage will make it difficult to retain self-consciousness upon backup."

He stepped onto the other side, keeping moving forward, and he hoped that even at these desperate, and reduced speeds that he wouldn't fall over. There was no stopping. The mall was in front of him.

"Backup to what?" It hurt to speak, like his throat was being scrapped out of his neck. "Bunker's gone... No more backups... not anymore... No more mes."

Everything is quiet, there's no sound anymore, and he had never felt more alone than he had been in this moment.

There was no hope for him, he realized this. He was going to die, but he didn't want to die, but there was nothing that he could do. His life was going to end, and he was afraid, he didn't want to die, he wanted someone to save him because there was nothing that he could do to fix this, he needed-

"T-t-2B-" He was certain he said her name, but he couldn't even him himself say it.

Something was moving, coming at him from the mall, several figures rushing at him as they dashed at him.

YoRHa soldiers, each one donning the armor that they had been wearing to the assault. They were all infected, and coming right for him.

9s tried to turn away, but his movement was too painful, far too sluggish, and there was nothing he could do to stop the sword strike against his back that sent him flying through the air, crashing to the ground far too close to the ledge to be comfortable.

Everything was too much for him, his body was in so much screaming pain as he tried to push himself to his feet, barely able to stand, hardly able to even hold his sword in his hands, which could only shake in his grip.

The infected YoRHa stood before him, their own weapon drawn as they approached him, and he couldn't even raise his own to defend himself.

One raised their sword, ready to strike him down-

Suddenly the YoRHa fell down as a shape appeared behind it, only for it to quickly cut down the other YoRHa that had been standing there.

"Y-you..." 9S tried to say. The figure, he knew it. The face, it was just like... "A2..."

A2, the deserter android that had an execution order against her. What had she done to deserve such a thing, to have YoRHa order her death like that?

She stood there, staring down on him, her body damaged, her skin removed to show off the carbon-under platting, and dirt and grime coated what was still left, while her long and mattered hair hung down her back and shoulders, and what he recognized as a Type-40 Sword in her hand, likely scavenged off a capture team that had been sent after her.

There were more coming for them, he tried to warm her but nothing would come out, but still she turned around, blocking the next strike that came for her, and quick to retaliate at cut the infect unit down. A2 jumped into the fray, running up to the approaching androids and fought.

9S tried to move, to join in, or to run, but it was too much to even kneel up, so instead he fell, only to catch himself, stabbing his sword into the ground.

His sword... Cruel Oath...

He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't, unable to do so. If he had to guess, he only had minutes left, and that was the optimistic guess. There was nothing that he could do to fight, nor save his own life, so he did the only thing he could do.

9S downloaded his memories onto his sword. His memories, the most precious things he had, and though he only had a month's worth of memories, a month or so since he was rolled out of production, it was hardly much, but for him it was everything to him, and the most important one went in first, safely tucked away.

His memories would survive, even if he didn't. His memories _would_ survive.

As the download finished, A2 came back to him, the infected YoRHa laying dead behind her.

With a shaking hand, 9S reached up and pulled off his visor, tossing the blindfold to the ground and stared back up to the renegade android. His eyes were beginning to sear, and red was already filtering his vision.

"A-A2," he tried, the simple, two character designation a struggle to push out. "I n-need you to do me something." His grip on Cruel Oath tightened. "This s-s-word, it has my memories, watch over them. And-d, _please,_ watch over 2B, and keep her safe. _Please!"_

More pain, enough to cause him to double over, his sword falling to the ground and leaving him to collapse to his hands. If he had to guess, he had less than thirty seconds before he lost all cognitive function, before _he_ was gone.

From the top of his vision, he could see A2's hand reach down and grip the handle of his sword.

Despite everything, 9S felt peace at this moment.

 _'2B, I'm sorry... But at least... you won't have to...'_

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	2. With Death Went My Lover

Fipp: Now for the next chapter.

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter II: With Death Went My Lover...**

2B screamed as her flight unit descended through the air, her body struggling against the harness as she pulled and clawed at the control system, only for nothing to give, only for nothing to obey her, to respond her commands. She needed to get out of this thing, and she needed to get out of it now, but she lacked the space to act on anything.

"Warning: Further struggle could cause damage to flight unit, which would result in a possible crash."

"Just get me out of this thing!"

"Unable to release harness lock until flight unit has landed."

"Well when is that?"

"Unknown: This unit is unaware of preset destination created by unit 9S, however judging from current trajectory, we are currently on route to the factory, and are estimated to reach it within the next thirty seconds."

Not fast enough. 2B continued to struggle, throwing her body against the restraints holding her secure, even as the factory came into view, its expansive structure reaching far into the distance. Her flight unit seemed as though it was aiming for the front of the factory, where the large empty space once housed a Goliath-class machine.

Something gave away, a part of the harness came loose, and suddenly her shoulder was free, and with the new range of movement she was able pull her arm free and started to pull at the harness around her chest.

"Warning: This unit highly recommends against unit 2B's current actions, we are still currently too high for a safe free-fall landing to be done."

As the harness came off, 2B almost fell forward, the suddenly shift in momentum causing the flight unit to toss around in the air, swaying wildly as 2B worked to pull her legs free. All she needed to do was just loosen the harness a bit more and-

Her leg was suddenly free, and 2B fell from her flight unit, tumbling and flailing wildly through the air, her Pod too far off for her to grab, so there was nothing for her to even slow her down. All she could do was brace herself as her body crashed into the ground, bouncing and sliding across the concrete and steel of the courtyard before she rolled to a stop, only to further roll down the stairs until she finally came to a stop. Shock and pain rocked her whole body as she tried to recover, pulling herself to her side as she tried to stand, only to fall forward again. Her HUD was already displaying a number of error messages, nothing too major in terms of structural damage, but this still hurt like hell.

She could scarcely hear her flight unit crashing into the ocean.

"It was advised that unit 2B wait for flight unit to make its landing to avoid such a situation," Pod 042 said as it finally came down to hover next to her.

"I know Pod..." she growled, straining to move to her feet, her legs feeling like the weight they were carrying had suddenly tripled. As she limped forward, she could feel the nanomachines in her body begin their work on repairing the damage to her body, and with each step she took, she could feel the pain fade away, her stride becoming quicker and more even. By her count it had taken fifteen seconds for the nanomachines to work their repairs, and by the time she had reached the stairs, she was able to dash into a full sprint.

She needed to find 9S, he clearly wasn't here, so there was no reason for her to stay and-

The air was filled with mad laughter, and 2B barely avoided the swing of an infected YoRHa android's large sword.

"I don't have time for this!" she cried out, blocking another blow, the strike sending waves through her bones and her knees to almost buckle, something that a standard Battle unit would be unable to do to her. The virus had removed any limiters on their physical capabilities, and left unchecked this would cause irreparable damage to their own bodies, eventually leaving them immobile and burnt out. That however was of little concern to her at the moment as she was surrounded by six of her fellow soldiers-gone-mad.

Her sword was gripped tightly in her hand, and she found herself hesitating to strike them down; these were fellow YoRHa, despite what had happened to them,despite how deranged they had become in trying to kill her. Killing a fellow android was not something done lightly, and with the Bunker gone, killing them would mean erasing them from the world for good, they would be gone, and the very thought filled her heavy weight in her center. Not killing them however would put others in danger, since there was no possible way any given Resistance android would be able to stand up against them. There was no saving them as well, they were far too gone, the virus likely having done untold damage to their personal data, leaving nothing left to recover.

And every second she spent wasting time on them, was another second she spent not looking for 9S.

The last one fell with a gurgled scream, a large gash cut into its throat, joining the rest of its former squad mates, and before its body could even hit the ground, 2B was off, dashing across the field as fast as her legs could carry her until she had reached, and jumped up, the broken overpass. Keeping her path straight she ran down the road, jumping over the dead bodies of machine and android alike until she reached the end of the road, sliding to a stop just as she came to the edge. She scanned the city, eyes searching the terrain and looking for something that would guide her forward, but the only thing she saw were berserk machines and the corpses of dead YoRHa units, littering the fields and streets.

"Pod," 2B sharply said, turning to the support unit floating to her side. "Locate 9S now."

"Affirmative; Locating unit 9S' black box signal."

She breathed outward, her body ever so slightly relaxing. They were out of the factory, which was known for its bad reception, now she would be able to find him much easier.

"Statement: Unable to precisely pinpoint unit 9S' location."

She snapped. "WHAT? What do you mean you can't find him?"

"Statement: Unit 9S' black box signal appears to be scrambled, so beyond the broad scope of his location being located in the City Ruins, this unit is unable to provide a more accurate reading."

"But-" she stammered. No, something must be wrong, and it made her worry even more. How can she not find him, how could _she,_ of all people, not find him? It was a morbid thought, and she hated it, but the heavy feeling inside her only became heavier.

"Suggestion: Unit 2B should possibly check the Resistance Camp. If unit 9S sought shelter, then the Resistance Camp would be the optimal location."

"Of course. Yes, that's it. He'll be there." 2B jumped off the overpass, landing on the overgrown field below her, and quickly dashed away, heading for the Resistance Camp at full speed. Her goal set, 2B weaved around rocks and bushes, varying debris such as broken machines old rusted-out cars, under the shadow of Engels, not even bothering to fight what machines stood in her way. She simply ran right past them, running straight through their clusters, too fast for them to attack, and by the time they had registered she was there, she had already moved out of their range.

After a sharp turn around a building, the entrance to the camp was within her sight. Water sprayed and splashed all around her as she ran through the shallow pond, she did not lose a single step as she ran up the hill, and did not even bothering to slow down as she ran into the camp itself.

The camp was in disarray, androids running around, yelling at one another, Anemone standing in the center barking orders to try and calm the chaos that had taken over the camp, to try and make order of things. The medical wing was already filled with injured androids, and she could see Devola and Popola running back and forth between the beds and a table where spare parts lay, trying to repair what they could.

She didn't care about any of this however.

"9S!" she shouted, sliding to a stop, her boots kicking up dirt, and several androids jumping out of her way. "9S are you here?!" Her shouts had attracted the attention of several androids, who all stopped what they were doing to look and stare at her, but amongst these androids she did not see 9S anywhere. With a frustrated growl she turned around, sprinting to the storage room that she had 9S had been given during their deployment. "9S!" she shouted as she slammed the door open, hitting it against the wall, but she did not see anyone in the small room, much to her panic.

"2B! What the hell is going on?" Anemone called from behind her. "One minute, the city is filled with YoRHa soldiers fighting off endless waves of machines, and the next thing I know, every single one of you is simultaneously infected with a logic virus! I've never seen anything like this, and I can't get in contact with the Bun-"

"Is 9S here?" 2B stormed up to Anemone, staring her straight in the eyes and invading any sense of personal space the two of them had.

"Wha-" Anemone stammered, caught off guard by her unusual frustrated state.

"I'll repeat this once, Anemone; 9S. Is he here?" 2B demanded, and Anemone took another step back.

Anemone could only shake her head. "I'm sorry, no. He was here before the assault went underway to resupply, but I haven't seen him since." Her expression softened, her hand reaching out for 2B, only to remain hovering in there air. "2B, please tell me what's happen. I need-2B, wait!"

2B ignored Anemone's cries as she turned on her heel and ran out of the camp. 9S wasn't here, there was no reason to be here any longer than she needed to be.

However, she came to a stop outside the camp, her eye frantically looking over the city, unable to decide where she should go next. Should she try and head for the encampment near the desert, or look down into the crater? Maybe he found himself at Pascal's village, or landed in the Flooded City?

Her eyes darted back and forth across the landscape, desperately searching for some kind of sign to help her decide where she needed to go, because if there was ever a time that she could have been sent kind of message, it was now. No message came for her, however, though she was not surprised in the slightest. No one or nothing to help her. She had already stayed still long enough, hesitant to move in fear that she might take the wrong choice, but she couldn't just not make some sort of decision, because if all she did was worry then-

No. Don't think like this, he'll be alright. There's nothing wrong. They'll find one another, they always do.

2B took a deep breath, in an attempt to calm herself down. He was okay, she kept telling herself.

She made a choice: forward. In an instant she was off, leaping off the hill and immediately shooting off into a sprint the moment she landed in the water and ran forward. Ruined cityscape passed by her, machines barely noticed her presence as she ran, hey eyes only focused forward and what could possibly be there for her. With the help of Pod 042 she managed to clear the gap in the road, using it to swing her in the air, and from there she deviated in her path, opting to take a quick left and run up the overgrown tree roots to the remains of the overpass, pieces of stone and road falling underneath her boots. More machines were ignored as she passed them in favor of the end of the road.

She stopped, once again looking over the city from the ledge of an overpass, looking over the landscape with the hope of something that could-

"Scanning: Black box signal located."

"What?" she snapped, instantly turning to Pod 042. "You can find him? When did this happen?"

"Statement: Unit 9S' signal has only just become available."

"Well where is he?!"

"Statement: Unit 9S is currently located just outside the commercial district. It would be optimal for unit 2B to-"

She ignored her Pod, instead choosing to jump off the bridge and run, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her. It was there, just there! She could see the mall, she was almost there!.

"Alert: Large-scale ground tremors detected."

She ignored it again as she passed underneath the large concrete arch.

"Underground soil structure is no longer stable. Cause is likely a high-magnitude earthquake. Proposal: Evacuate immediately." The earth rumbled beneath her, but she didn't spare it a second thought. The bridge was right there, she was only a few moments away from getting to him, nothing else was important to her anymore beyond that.

Stone and dirt gave away to wooden planks as she made it to the bridge, her black box humming loudly in her chest as she pushed herself to move even the slightest bit faster as she cleared a third of the bridge in a sparse few seconds.

"9S!" she shouted, her voice strained as the name left her mouth. He was there, just beyond the other side of the bridge. He was-

Everything stopped. She almost tripped and fell over, but her hand had reached out to the ropes holding the bridge up, and she held it so tightly it groaned beneath her grip. 2B couldn't breathe, it was as though her lungs had simply refused to work, and already she was beginning to feel heavy, so heavy, enough so that her legs became weak underneath her and she was barely able to support herself. Had it not been for the rope she was holding as though her very life depended on it, she would have fallen to her knees.

"N-in-" The words could barely be chocked out of her as she tried to say his name, but nothing would come out. Nothing worked for her, as though every system in her body had been switched around inside her body, nothing she could do could have possibly allowed her to move in anyway she wanted to. None of this mattered to her however, anything and everything going on in her body didn't matter to her in the slightest at this moment.

On the other side of the bridge, near the ledge of the ravine, was 9S. On his knees. A sword jutting out from his back. Blood there was blood dripping off the blade why was this-

He then turned to her, his face looking her way, just long enough for her to see him wearing a look of content and calm.

"2B..." 9S smiled at her, it was small, but still there. It wasn't the first time he smiled at her like this, not the first time in this scenario.

She'd seen this before, dozens of times. Each time caused by her.

He fell back, the sword exiting body and allowing the blood to flow freely from his body.

Why did it always end like this?

"9S..." Her eyes are already beginning to sting, she didn't bother to hold back her tears as they began to soak into her visor. "Nines..." she cried, the sobs overtaking her, her insides hurting and twisting and ripping and tearing into pieces.

9S was dead. Again. She was now left alone with his corpse, the emotions she had always tried to keep locked deep away bursting out to the surface, easily overwhelming her entire being, and she'll be forced to push them back deep down inside herself, burying it even further down then she had before, hoping that in a few days when she meets up with 9S again he won't-

Realization then washed over her like a tidal wave, feeling as though it could crush her like a rusted can of tin. Her body ceased, and her desperate, despairing cries suddenly stopped as the horrid feeling came to her.

She knew this, she had thought of this not too long ago, as she fought the infected YoRHa units, but the moment she saw 9S fall her mind momentary went blank.

The Bunker is gone. She saw it engulfed in flames, exploding and scattering as she screamed into the very empty void of space, the silent beyond. Without The Bunker, there was no way for a YoRHa-class android to backup their personal data and download it into a new body when their current one is destroyed.

Death is now permanent.

9S is dead, not temporarily. He won't be rolled out of manufacturing in a couple of days, his memories wiped, only to be partnered up with her again, to restart their whole relationship all over again.

He's gone. Gone. 9S is Gone. Forever.

She'll never see him again.

She paid no mind to the rumbling of the earth, she couldn't put focus on anything that was happening around her, beyond the sight of the corpse on the other side of the bridge.

2B fell to her knees, unable to stand anymore, her breathing out of control and she can't think anymore, it felt as though someone was stabbing into the back of her head with a dull and rusted scrap of metal, and she can hear her black box hum loudly in her chest and feel it burn. Her HUD was blaring, filled with warning signals, telling of her of the strain and stress of the varying physical and psychological abnormalities that had suddenly formed inside her.

All she could do was stare at 9S' body, still unable to believe, accept what she was looking at despite how familiar she was with the scene.

How did this...?

Something floated down next to him; something long and white, numerous strands coming down and landing around him, and it takes everything she has to look up, away from him, to see where they are coming from.

A2. She's standing above him. His sword is in her hand, covered in his blood.

She killed 9S.

She killed him.

She killed Nines.

Her blood starts to boil inside her, her teeth suddenly clenching together so tightly they were close to cracking.

 **A2 killed Nines.**

2B let out a scream, one like she had never let loose before. It was filled with grief and pain, regret and anger and hate. It started to hurt, straining her vocal processors, and by the end of it static was already starting to break through, distorting her voice. It overpowered the sound of the earth shaking around her, splitting open, as she grabbed her sword, Virtuous Contract, tightly in her hand and pulled herself to her feet, and launched herself forward.

She'll kill her she'll tear her apart and cut her into pieces and make her hurt sufferbleedpainKILL.

Why did you do thiswhydidyoutakehimawayfromewhywhy **whywhyWHY** _ **WHY?**_

She kept screaming, so enraged that it pained, even as the earthquake started, swaying and swinging the bridge before she could even make it a few steps, only for the bridge to give away under her, breaking and shattering as the world around her split and break apart, odd white structures erupting from the stone and rock around her.

All she could do was focus on A2's vanishing figure.

2B screamed as she fell into the darkness below.

000

Please be well

Mrfipp


	3. The Horrible Silence After

Fipp: This chapter is a bit on the shorter end, but so far the other chapter I've written since this one have a bit more meat to them.

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter III: The Horrible Silence After**

" _Now, repeat your mission statement to me."_

" _I am YoRHa unit No. 2 Type-E, designed to eliminate YoRHa androids that are known to be a threat to our organization as a whole. I myself was manufactured in preparation for YoRHa unit No. 9 Type-S, who according to numerous simulations, has a high likelihood of eventually hacking into The Bunker's servers and discover top secret classified information. Him having said information could greatly compromise YoRHa mission. While under the guise of a Type-B model, I am to watch and observe YoRHa No. 9 Type-S' behavior, and upon either elimination orders from you, my own suspicions, or the compromise of my identity, he is to be executed."_

" _Very good. 9S will be ready to be rolled out sometime tomorrow morning, and after he is settled in, assigned his own Operator and Pod, you and he will be deployed on your first mission together. Until the time to execute him come, you two are to work together as any other paired units, do you understand?"_

" _I do, ma'am."_

" _Again, very good."_

" _Is that all, Commander?"_

" _No, there is one more thing I feel I must tell you. As a Type-E, you have been assigned a very difficult task. It will not be easy, and over time, I imagine that it will overwhelm you and possibly become very difficult for you to accomplish your mission."_

" _I'm afraid I don't understand, ma'am. As a Scanner, No. 9 Type-S should be easy to overtake in a combat scenario, and I have been formatted with the proper sub-systems to fight off any hacking attacks from him."_

" _I was not referring to the act itself, but rather... Just know, that emotions are prohibited."_

" _Emotions are prohibited."_

" _What you will do, is a necessary evil, all for the sake of a greater good, and hopefully the day for you to no longer continue this task will come in your lifetime. Until that day however, Glory to Mankind."_

" _Glory to Mankind."_

 _000_

Slowly, the world returned to her, her hearing slowly coming back to her as colors began to fill her vision, there were shapes in front of her, mostly dull browns and beige, but the most striking colors were two splotches of red. It didn't take long, but everything came into view, suddenly becoming clearer, and she could see what she was looking at, but something must have been still wrong with her vision since she was seeing double.

"Looks like she's awake, Devola," said one of the doubles, and the other one came closer until they were both hanging over her.

"Mornin'. Slept well, didn't ya, 2B?"

That's right, her vision was fine. Devola and Popola, the twin models at the Resistance Camp who specialized in repairs and healing procedures.

2B was laid down on a bed, and she looked around her to figure out where she was, only to see that she was in fact at the Resistance Camp. How did she get here? What had happened?

With some effort, she pushed herself up, her body feeling stiff and sore all over, radiating mostly from her joints, making her feel heavy and sluggish. As her legs left the bed, she discovered that her visor having already been placed in her enclosed hand, so she did what came naturally and wrapped it around her head, covering her eyes, and tying the knot behind the back of her head, underneath her hair. It took longer than usual, her fingers feeling numb and clumsy as she finally secured it.

"I'm in... the Resistance Camp?" 2B finally said, and already she felt tired from just looking over the medical area.

She noticed that Pod 042 was hovering just above the bed. She wanted to reach out, to place her palm against its smooth and cool chassis, but she didn't think she had the strength for it.

"That's right," Popola started. "You've been unconscious for nearly two weeks."

Devola continued. "A little 'thank you' for saving your butt your be nice!"

Slowly 2B's head turned, looking over the camp, taking in her surrounding, from the twins to the varying other androids she could see, conducting whatever business they had. All she could do was trying and piece things together...

"Where's 9S?" she asked, her voice sounding smaller than she had ever heard it.

The twins looked to one another, neither one of them looking particularly confident in whatever answer they had for him.

"You know that better than anyone, no?" Devola said finally. 2B did, she just wished that anyone could give her a different answer. "His black box signal... disappeared."

"...Oh." was all she could respond. This didn't feel real, it felt like some glitched simulation, where it was convincing but it still filled her with the sensation that something was off about it.

Pod 042 chimed in with its own statement: "Devola and Popola are rare android models designed for medical and maintenance. Without The Bunker, they are the only remaining way for unit 2B to initiate repairs." It lowered its altitude, hovering closer to her. "Proposal: A show of gratitude is known to be appropriate in this situation."

"...t-thanks."

"Yeah, there used to be lots of out models around," Devola continued, a hand going to rest on her hip. "Apparently, we were put here to oversee some kind of large-scale system that was in place."

"Oh..." 2B said, though in truth their words were background noise to her. Maybe this really was a simulation? She has had experience with such things before, they ran her through maybe dozens of them in the first two weeks of her activation in preparation for...

"Too bad we don't know know what it was exactly. All the records from that era were deleted, but what we do know is that our model went nutso at some point in the past. It ended badly."

"Most of our kind were disposed of after that," Popola said, her voice soft, a bit sad. "But we were spared, they used us as a sort of control group to ensure such a thing couldn't happen again."

"So yeah, we're lab rats," said Devola, who sounded more annoyed, before her tone softened, only slightly. "But at least we get to be helping our friends. I'd like to think that we're atoning in some way for our past sins.

That caught 2B's attention; past sins. She still had nothing to say however, she didn't know what to even say.

Slowly, and carefully, Popola reached over and gently placed her hand on 2B's shoulder, and while the urge to shrink away from the contact was still there, however dull and muted in her present state of mind, she did not have the bodily will to do so. "Try not to overdo it, 2B."

"Okay..."

Her legs moved, feeling as though they were their weight had suddenly increased almost beyond her capacity to carry them, and slowly, without aim, wandered out of the medical area. She moved past the maintenance shop vendor that had sold her Pod programs, plug-in chips and fusion of said chips. She had tried to greet 2B, but she went ignored as 2B went further into the center of the camp.

She kept looking, trying to find some kind of glitch, or visual or audible distortion that could help her get out of here, but no matter how hard she looked, everything seemed as though it should.

"2B!" called a voice, and the android in question turned her head in the direction the voice came from, and who she saw standing beneath the shade of the primary tent was Anemone.

2B tried to make her way over to her, but her legs still wouldn't obey her in the ways she wanted them to move, and before she could even get more than a few steps, Anemone walked up to her, her steps quick as she approached her.

"Hello Anemone," 2B greeted her, simply.

"It's good to see you're up and about, 2B," Anemone said, sounding tired as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Things have been... complicated the last couple of weeks, since you've been out. For a while, the city was covered in infected YoRHa units, but after they either killed one another, their bodies gave out from the strain the logic virus was giving them, and from there my men were able to put down the few that were left. As far as I know, that problem is over and done with. Surprisingly, there are still a few surviving YoRHa; three battle units in that haven't left the desert, and a scanner in the Forest Kingdom, though he's since started working for us. And since the Bunker is gone we can't-"

Her words trailed off, seeing as though 2B had yet to react to anything she was saying. Was she supposed to say anything.

"2B," Anemone tried again. "I'm sorry, about everything that happened, with YoRHa and The Bunker, and I heard about 9S too. I'm sorry about that, you two seemed close."

Close. That was one word to describe it.

"I just want to let you know, that I know what it's like to be the survivor, the last one left, and we'll be here to provide support for you whenever we can, and you're more than welcomed to stay until you figure out what you're going to do."

Do? She's supposed to get through this simulation, and complete whatever objective this is. After that she'll...

She just needs to get through this.

"Your old room is still available, so feel free to use it again. I imagine you'll want some time alone to yourself, to figure things out."

"Okay. I'll do that..."

2B turned around and began to make the trek to the storage room, which suddenly seemed so much further away than it should have been.

"And 2B," Anemone said from behind, though she did not look back to her. "Just, please be strong, okay?"

2B continued, her feet dragging against the dirt, filtering out the chatter and noises of the other androids around her, her entire range of focus centered around the door. Usually it would take seconds to reach it, to put her hand on the handle and open it up, but the seconds seemed as though they were dragged out into too long minutes, and when she finally reached the door, she couldn't open it. She stood there in front of it, unmoving for how long she didn't know, but she just couldn't open it and enter the room beyond.

"Report: Mail notification received from access point," Pod 042 chimed.

On a dime, 2B turned around and headed towards the access point, and her hand trembled as she pressed the keys, fumbling her password several times before she managed to finally enter the correct one. This must be information on how she was supposed to proceed with the simulation, it wasn't unusual for them to send orders and information in such a way.

It was a message from The Council of Humanity, containing a summary of the failure of the recent assault, the destruction of YoRHa and the loss of everyone in it.

Glory to Mankind.

As she closed her inbox, dread began to fill 2B as she dragged herself back to the storage room, a heavy, overwhelming fear swallowed her as she considered the possibility that this may not be a simulation.

Opening the door, she wasn't certain what to expect, but the room was the same as she last left it, nothing had changed at all. Everything was the same as though nothing had happened. She closed the door gently behind her, careful not to make a single noise in fear that any sudden and loud commotion would make her fears real. When it was closed her eyes met the bed across from the door, her own bed, taken when she had suggested that it would be better suited for her to be stationed much close to the door in the even there was a surprise ambush. She had been told that she was maybe being a bit paranoid, and that regardless of where she rested she would be able to keep both of them safe.

An ugly feeling formed inside of her at the words.

2B ignored her bed, and walked over to the other one, in the back of the room, sitting carefully down on it, her weight sinking into the mattress, and her fingers gripped into the sheets. As she did this, the prior events washed over her, and she realized something.

This wasn't a simulation, this was real. Her memories were real as well, everything that had happened, had actually happened.

The logic virus wiped out YoRHa. The Bunker was gone. Everyone was dead.

9S, he was dead too. He was Gone.

She could hear the loud humming of her black box in her ears, her lungs didn't seem to work anymore, as she was suddenly short of breath, each in take of air a labor of its own.

He couldn't be Gone, he just couldn't, it just didn't make any sense to her, he always came back, no matter what had happened to him, no matter what she did to him, he would always come back. The idea that she would never see him again...

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself as she tried not to think about the empty space next to her, how it would never be filled again. She had never gone more than a few days before she met up with him again, partnered with him to start their relationship all over again.

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself it had been two weeks since she was at the bridge, since she last saw him. Two weeks, that was almost an entire average lifetime for him.

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself as three years of memories flashed before her, important memories, both good and bad. The things that were most important to her, her light in the darkness.

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself as she pushed herself further onto the bed, until her back was pressed against the wall.

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself as she drew her knees against her chest and wrapped her her arms around her legs.

Emotions are prohibited, she told herself as she tried to curl up as small as possible, hoping that she would cease to exist.

Emotions are prohibited.

Emotions are prohibited...

Emotions are...

Emotions...

2B's whole body shook as the first sob chocked itself out of her.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	4. A Gnawing Absence

Fipp: So I learned, as I wrote this chapter, is that there is a flower called a jackass clover, which really cleared a few things up for me.

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter IV: A Gnawing Absence**

She's no expert in hacking, she's never really understood how it worked, but she was more than confident that what she's doing is much different than what would happen in her day. Flying through this odd, pale-colored hacking space, as some kind of strange cursor and shooting at the enemy's internal defense systems, and while it works well enough she was always more than happy enough to just cut machines apart. However, that's not the thing that bothers her the most.

" _I... am a...desert test unit... Created... wipe out mankind..."_

"What was that?" A2 asked, the odd, machine voice throwing her off, almost causing the enemy fire to strike her.

"The hacking has caused the enemy's memories to merge with your own," came the voice of Pod 153, her newly acquired, and very unwelcome support Pod. She never liked these things, they always seemed annoying and they never shut up whenever she encountered them.

She didn't want these memories, not the memories of some pile of scrap, not when she's still trying to sort out the memories she willing took on. Memories that just don't make sense to some degree because so many of them contradict with each other.

" _Better make sure he's actually dead next time. That was dangerous ma'am."_

"This is a fragment of 9S' memory from when he was alive. This was said upon his initial contact with unit 2B."

She didn't need a shitty Pod to tell her that, and as the words poured into her head she could recall where they had been said; The Factory, in one of the new flight units, just as he met with...

But it was wrong, the first time they met, the one from his memories, was on The Bunker. She knew how that mission went, he had read the reports because he-

No, did they meet at The Factory? She thought it was somewhere else, in the desert. Or was it somewhere in the city?

It hurt to try and think about this, but all she can do is just move forward and keep shooting.

More memories keep pouring all around her, despite her wishes for them to stop.

" _...not right, No. 2. We're all here... chose to be here... Thank... giving meaning to my life..."_

No, no no no! Leave that alone! "Enough!" she snapped. That was _her_ memory, not something to be dragged out for anyone to see, leave No. 4 alone!

"Memory data recognized as belonging to YoRHa unit A2 herself," Pod 153 continued, and A2 want to break its casing and crush it like a tin can.

"Shut up and get out of my head already!" she yelled, not needing anymore of this. There were too many memories, and she didn't know which were hers anymore. A2 tried to focus on No. 4, No. 16 and No. 21, but all she could do was think was of how they were dead. All because YoRHa used them, sent them to die, betrayed them.

She could still feel the sword piercing her chest, she thought they were friends! Why was she-

No! That's not hers! Why was she even...ugh.

Just keep going, and don't think about it.

So she went on, she kept shooting, kept fighting.

"Mama... Mama..." she followed the desperate cries, to a mass of black cubes, pathetically huddled onto the ground, while an avatar of her body replaced the cursor. It kept crying out for its Mama.

Gritting her teeth, A2 had not problem slicing her sword, the avatar of the sword that was now hers, right through the mass, dispersing its shape into the hacking space around her.

More memories came to her. They kept conflicting, but they were so fragmented that she was never able to piece together a full picture of what was going on, and the dates were so wrong, taking place before he was manufactured and-

There's only one consistent thing within 9S' memories, and that is 2B.

"Shut up," she hissed, trying to block them out.

" _I wonder, did I ever become like you when the truth came to light?"_

"Shut up."

" _Did I ever rage and scream against the world, or did I just keeping going with the motions, or-"_

"I said SHUT UP!" A2 quickly spun around on her feet and threw her sword right at the image of 9S in front of her and-

-and suddenly she was back in the desert.

The desert. The desert. Shouldn't there be ruins around here? Some kind of temple?

A memory popped up, one of the strange fragments that didn't make sense, but this one was much cleaner. Then again, the ones of 2B were always the ones that seemed to be in the best condition.

It's not a pleasant memory. It's rather gruesome.

"What did you even see in her?" she asked to no one, an anger building up inside of her.

000

"I'm ready for my next mission, ma'am."

Anemone filched at the words, her shoulders tensing up for a moment before slumping back down, and while she appeared hesitant to do so, she turned around to face 2B, a tired expression marking her features.

Anemone gave off a haggard sigh. "2B, I've already told you, multiple times, do not call me 'ma'am', I don't like it."

"I apologize, but I needed to tell you that I have completed my last mission, so I am ready to receive my next set of orders," 2B said, her tone firm, and stance rigid.

It had been three days since 2B had woken up, and it did not take too long before she felt the desire to leave the storage room, the silence too much to bear for her, and she couldn't deal with being left along with her own thoughts. Upon stumbling out the room, she came to the realization that she was, above all else, a soldier, and a soldier follows orders.

"And 2B, I think you need to take a break," Anemone continued.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand," 2B asked, a feeling of anxiousness already building up inside her.

"You've been going nonstop for the last few days, you need rest, and to be frank I'm starting to run out of things for you to do. You've done everything from fetch quests for the twins, to moving boxes around in storage, and so much more."

"It's all part of my missions, if I receive one I must preform it to my utmost ability."

"For the love of-and another thing, stop treating me like I'm your CO, I'm not."

"Are you the leader of this Resistance cell?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then, with both YoRHa gone and the Commander dead, the chain of command has been broken, and since you are the highest ranking android around, you then gain command over all remaining units, and are within your rights to issue orders to me."

Anemone's brow furrowed as she brought a hand to her face, fingers rubbing at her eyelids.

"Fine, if that's the way you want to play at it, then here is your next mission; take a break, find something to do with your time other than pestering me for orders until you work yourself to death."

"But-"

"No, this is final."

"...alright," 2B said, with reluctance.

"2B, you've been through a lot the last few days, and I think it would be best if you tried to-"

"No, I understand, I'll take a few days off, since that is what you ordered."

2B ignored Anemone's sudden protests as she quickly turned on her heel and walked away from her.

She was a solider, the sudden alternations in her life did not change that in the slightest, no matter how traumatic they had been, and as a soldier, it was her duty to accept and follow orders. This was how she had spent her time since she had woken up; doing whatever Anemone had asked of her, no questions asked, no matter how small or menial the task at hand was. It kept her mind in focus, sharp as she put everything she was into her mission. Her missions were important because they had to be done, and she had to do them because she was assigned to them. The more missions she did, the more time she spent putting her focus on her missions. Do the missions no matter what.

Ignore the silence next to her, pretend it didn't exist.

But what was she supposed to do now? Could she ask around the camp to be given tasks to be done? Maybe go out of the camp and find someone, anyone, that needed some form of assistance? She had done it before, and there was always someone who would need help with something, and all she needed to do was find them.

All she needed to do was find a mission and everything would be better.

"Hey, YoRHa girl!"

2B almost tripped at the unexpected call, catching herself soon enough to hope that no one noticed. Her attention was then drawn to one of the Resistance members, a man dressed in a dark hood, sitting on a chair next to some of the camp's more complex equipment.

"Yes?" 2B said back as she approached him. "Can I help you with anything?"

The man nodded, and reached into his jacket to pulled out an old photograph, featuring him, and several other androids. They looked happy.

"Have you seen these folks, perchance?" he asked as she carefully studied the image.

"Sorry," she finally replied, with the shake of her head. "But I haven't seen these androids anywhere."

The man gave a deep sigh as he tucked the photo back into his pocket. "They were part of my squad, but I lost contact when they went out for field research. If anything happened to them-"

"So you need me to go look for them for you?" As much as she tried to hide how desperate she was for this task, 2B was unable to help herself from taking two steps forward to the man, causing him to almost fall out of his chair.

"Well, um, yeah, I would like that very much, thank you. I'd look for them myself, but my motor systems were heavily damaged some time back, so I can't get too far from the camp right now."

"Very well, I shall accept this request."

"Yeah, thanks, it's just... I need to know if they're alive or not, and if they're dead... I just need to know so I can mourn them properly.

"I... I understand." For some reason, 2B felt her throat dry out. "Do you know where I might be able to find them? Or at least where I can start?"

"They headed towards the flooded section of the city on the coast, last I checked. I'll give you their ID codes, to help you out, and we all wield dual weapons, so you should be able to find them easily." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "If they're dead, I'd appreciate if you could retrieve any personal articles you find."

"I'll do what I can," 2B said, before turning around and headed towards the transport. Even with YoRHa gone, their equipment was still functional.

"Hey!" the man called out to her. "I forgot, I never got your name, what is it?"

"2B," she replied, having halted in her steps.

"Huh, good name, for what it is. I'm Hydrangea, just so you know."

"...Okay."

Time to head out.

000

She hadn't been in the flooded district since shortly after the destruction of the giant machine that had rampaged against everything in its path to the shore, when she had tried to find clues as to where...

The first thing she noticed as she stepped out of the transport was how humid the air was, a striking contrast from the usually cool and clammy temperature the coast had. Already she could feel the condensation building on her, causing her clothes and hair to stick to her skin. Beyond the initial thoughts, she pushed any afterthought aside and planted her feet onto the grass, rounded the corner of the building and made her way down the path to the broken and flooded highway, each step taking her closer to the marker on her HUD's map. There were machines in her way, blocking her from reaching her destination, but like the countless number before them she had cut them down.

Typically in combat she was swift and graceful, quick to dispose of whatever machines that were required to kill for the sake of the mission, but no matter how many enemies she destroyed, there was never any real sense of accomplishment for her, no pride in what she did, just an acceptance of what she had done. Ever since she had woken up, she had taken notice of a change in how she fought; an increasing anger that had built up in her, expressing itself in her being more careless, more brutal in how she cut them down. 2B tried to keep these emotions in check, pushing them down as far as she could, to not let them affect her mission efficiency in the slightest.

Emotions were prohibited.

Even though she had come here to find Hydrangea's comrades, any thoughts of that mission were left behind as she stepped onto the highway, and she spotted the massive structure that had appeared at the end of the road. A large metal tower hovering just over the water, seemingly made of countless metal pipes and plates, and through the large openings in its sides, a bright and glowing yellow light shined through.

"What is that?" 2B asked, awestruck by the structure.

"Statement: Unknown," Pod 042 quickly answered.

"You're helpful..."

"Analysis: It would seem that this structure is related to machine technology."

"Machines?" She looked back between the Pod and the tower, unsure what to think about this whole situation, about what this thing was. She wasn't a thinker, she didn't solve problems like that. She was a soldier, she followed her orders. "Is the Resistance member we are looking for possibly in there?"

"Negative: The android in question is not too far from where we are standing, and is already marked on the mini-map. However, this structure is most likely related to the tow-"

"I don't care," 2B snapped, marching down the road. "We have a mission to do, and we will do it. Nothing else matters."

It didn't take her long to find the body, laying amongst the rubble near the buildings, next to a rusted out car, her body burnt from enemy firepower and two broken swords next to her.

"Alert: This is one of the Resistance members we were asked to locate.

"I was afraid of this," 2B said with a sigh, as she crouched over the body, trying to ignore the pit forming inside of her. From how the blood looked, it had seemed as though she had been dead a while. "The only personal items are these dog tags." 2B carefully raised the woman's head off the ground and slipped the dog tags from around her neck.

The name on the dog tags read 'Shion'.

"Analysis: Remaining transmission records indicate the Resistance members were attempting to retreat from battle. Analysis of final coordinates complete. Marking locations on map."

"Yeah..." 2B said as she stood up, clutching the dog tags tightly in her hand. She tried to ignore the slight tremble. "Let's go..."

000

The Amusement Park also had the same humidity that the Flooded City had, and looking over her shoulder she saw another tower, seeming as though it was over the theater. According to the minimap, the signal was not coming from there, so she ignored it. It wasn't part of the mission.

Beyond that, she could tell that something else was wrong; It was quiet, she couldn't hear the continuous bangs of fireworks in the air, lighting up the sky, the songs and dance of the resident peaceful machines. There was nothing, and it unnerved her, but it wasn't until she saw the first machine were she concerns realized.

The clown-dressed machine, instead of joyfully throwing confetti, singing and laughing, stumbled around, the front of its faceplate town off showing the sharp row of teeth that machines for some reason were designed with. A thick sludge leaked from the wounds, running down its face and stained the wide frilled collar it wore while a deep red glowed from behind its eyes and mouth. It reminded her all too much of the dozens of zombie machines they had found beneath the theater. Going further into the park, she saw that the remaining residents were of a similar state, mindlessly wandering the ruins, occasionally walking into walls and tripping over loosened bricks.

"ccOmEEE pllllllllayy with uzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-" one garbled, and it was the most coherent line she had gotten.

She never admitted this, but she rather liked this place. It was much different than anywhere else she had ever been, and even though it was occupied by machines, a part of her couldn't help but wonder how humans had enjoyed this establishment as they chased after fun and joy. She couldn't see the roller coaster continuously running, and something about that left her black box humming; the initial time she had rode it to get into the theater had been the first time he asked her-

Emotions were prohibited.

She found the Resistance member in the courtyard in the front of the park, bloodied and ripped to shreds, his body and the ground around him coated in blood.

His dog tag read 'Orchid'.

Two for two were dead, gone before she couldn't even get there.

She had to find the others. They needed to be alive. She needed them alive.

000

The third one was found in the lot outside the factory, hidden away in one of the bushes, and a large gash cut into his back. She didn't need the Pod to tell her that he was dead, she knew it from the moment she saw him.

His dog tag read 'Hyssop'.

All three of the androids she had found were dead, gone, and Hydrangea would never see them again.

Her breathing had deepened, but she ignored it.

"Alert: Emergency support request found in transmission records."

"What?" 2B spun around to meet Pod 042. "When?"

"Approximately twelve minutes ago."

2B immediately bolted back to the transport. She was sent to find four androids and three of them were dead, but this one was very much alive. The request for help had only come a twelve minutes ago, he had to be alive, he just had to be.

She could still save him.

000

2B tried to keep her mind on the mission as she ran through the desert. She tried not to think about exploring it for relics from the old world or looking for an oasis that matched a photograph or old desert ruins or-

All that mattered was finding this last android, making sure he was alright, and not dead and-

Emotions are prohibited.

She closed in on the signal, and over the dunes she could see plumes of fire and smoke shooting up into the air, before she finally caught sight of the source; two large machine tanks, retrofitted with large rusty spikes and jagged blades, covering its surface. It was a rather crude-looking design, but it seemed oddly appropriate for the desert.

There was no pause as she had Pod 042 open fire on the closest one, bringing out her sword and cutting into the armor.

"REVENGE! CLAIM YOUR REVENGE!" one cried out as the cannons, each turret facing every direction, began to unload a storm of bullets upon her.

"Avenge the pain of our comrades!" the other one cried, rolling its way towards her.

"I HATE ANDROIDS! HATE THEM! SEIZE THEM! KILL THEM! DESTROY THEM ALL!"

"Violence rules this world! Violence is all!"

She stabbed and fired, trying her best to kill it, to get it to stop ranting. There was no reason to hear anything it had to say, nothing it had meant anything to her.

"KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE! TEAR APART THOSE WHO RESIST US!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! KILL! KILL!"

"BURN THEM TO DEATH CRUSH THEM TO DEATH!"

The longer the battle went on, the more sloppy she became; she rushed in more, taking less notice of what they were doing in favor of getting in the most damage, which only resulted in her sustaining more damage herself. The blasts from their projectiles and the immense weight of their retractable treads slamming into her, sending her flying and rolling into the sand, but she was always quick to jump back up, ignoring the pain. All she needed to do was silence them, she didn't need to listen to them cry about revenge, for their lost comrades, not after everything they had-

Emotions were prohibited.

Eventually, they were both destroyed, the burning and charred remains scorching the sands around them as thick, black smoke pouring off them. Her breath was heavy and her grip on her sword was tighter than usual, so much that she was almost concerned that she might have broken it.

They were dead now, that was all that mattered. No, there was the Resistance member. She had to find him, he had to be alive, she couldn't let him die.

But he was dead as well, half his body crushed by the heavy treads of the tanks. It must have happened only moments before she arrived.

The pit that had started in her gut had grown much worse, she couldn't save this one, none of them. All dead, and there was nothing she could have done for them. Gone.

His dog tag read 'Hyacinth'.

000

With a sense of dread, 2B stepped out of the transport and onto Resistance ground, and with a deep breath, to try and delay the moment as long as she could, she slowly made her way to to where Hydrangea still sat. As she approached him, Hydrangea looked up at her, only for his expression to deepen and fall.

"Your face tells me everything I need to know. They didn't make it, did they?" he asked, his voice low and raspy.

She didn't say anything, all she did was reach out to him, the dog tags collected from his friends held in her hand.

"Thank you," he said grimly as he took them from her, his thumb affectionately running over the tags. "I'll just place these flowers with them..."

"Flowers?" she asked, taking note of the first time of the bundle of flowers wrapped at his feet. Why would he have flowers?

"Yeah, I'm just imitating an old ritual," he explained. "The human race had many traditions when it came to mourning their dead. I know it might not mean much to us, but..." Hydrangea sigh heavily, leaning back in his seat and looking up to the sky. The tags were gripped tightly in his hand. "Well, I just want their souls to find some peace. That's the wish I'm putting into these flowers. Thank you again for your help. Can I admit something? I'm... relieved that I was too injured to fight, it allowed me to escape."

She did say anything else as she turned away, her eyes downcast to the ground, going over what Hydrangea had just told her.

Mourning the dead with flowers?

000

It took 2B nearly twenty minutes to finally step over to the other side of the bridge. She didn't know why, she had crossed this bridge numerous times before, but now she was unable to make the final step, sometimes she didn't move, or she backtracked, going as far as to nearly make it halfway back, but eventually she stepped onto the ground. This shouldn't be hard, it just shouldn't be.

It didn't take her long to find the bloodstain near the ledge of the cliff, dried out, and faded, seemingly washed away by possibly rainstorms, but the body was nowhere to be found. Maybe the earthquakes had rolled it down into the ravine, possibly landing it on a cliff, or burying it under rubble from resulting landslides. It was likely she would never find him.

Something caught her eye, wrapped around a branch of a nearby bush.

It was his visor.

000

The elevator rattled to a stop, and upon the doors opening, 2B found herself bathed in an soft, ethereal light of the field of flowers. Lunar Tears, such a beautiful and delicate flower, and something about them brought a feeling of peace and serenity that she could not explain, but regretted that she never had allowed herself a chance to come back here on her own time with...

What was she doing? Would this even help?

She walked to the center of the field and stabbed a wooden stake into the dirt the visor tied around the other end.

"I..." she began, before she stopped. "This is..." Did she even have the right to this? To mourn and honor the dead like this after everything she's done, after she had desecrated his body as much as she had? "I remember once, you told me about how human had a belief of what happened to the soul after death, and while I'm not sure if androids have souls, I would like to think so. I wonder, what happened to you? Did you meet all the other previous yous that I killed, or did you all merge into one, and become a complete person? Wherever you ended up, I do hope you're happy, you deserve it after everything I've put you through. "

Emotions were prohibited. This was a mantra she had repeated so much that others had mocked her behind her back for it, but for her it was something she had to cling to, to pretend it worked for the sake of her own sanity when things became too unbearable for her. In the end, where did it get her however?

"I'm sorry for everything I did to you, for everything I took away from you," she continued. "I'm sorry for not being what you needed in your life, and not being there for you when you needed me the most." She struggled to keep her body under control as her shoulders began to shake, and her voice started to hitch."I'm sorry for more than I can ever apologize for." 2B stifled a sob as she leaned forward, placing her hand on the stake, her grip tightening around the end. "I don't have any right to ask for this, but I would do anything to see you one last time, and tell you all this myself, but from what I've heard, I don't think my soul will go to the same place as yours."

Lunar Tears, according to myths and legends, were supposed to grant wishes. There were hundreds of flowers in this long-forgotten and abandoned cavern, so maybe, hopefully, just one of them would grant her own wish.

"9S... Nines... I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

With no one around, 2B mourned, continued to mourn, as there was hardly a time in the better part of the three years that she did not mourn 9S' death, even when he was right beside her.

This was supposed to make her feel better, to bring her some semblance of peace, but all it did was remind her of how she could never make things right, and it felt like the weight of the world was crushing her from above.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	5. To Fight On and On and On

Fipp: All Resistance members are named after flowers, so last chapter I tried to pick flowers that had some kind of meaning to what was being written.

"Hydrangea" symbolize apologies in Japanese, which 2B does at the 9S' grave.

"Shion" symbolizes the phrase "I won't forget you", and the corresponding android is located in the Flooded City, near 2B's downed flight unit, where she talks about her memories of 9S, and the Soul Box, which ends with 9S' memories of 2B. Double angst points of Kingdom Hearts fans.

"Orchid" is sometimes associated with love, though I admit there's little to associate this with the Amusement Park in terms of 2B and 9S.

"Hyssop" symbolizes sacrifice; the most recent 9S uploaded 2B's data before his own, which resulted in his own memory wipe at the start of the game.

"Hyacinth" symbolizes sorrow, as the Desert Ruins from _The Memory Cage/Thorn_ is where 2B first began to mourn for 9S.

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter V: To Fight On and On and On...**

The last machine fell, its body torn up, with large cut on its chassis, and the resulting damage was enough for the corpse to explode into a shower of sparks and scrap when it hit the ground.

"Looks like that's the last one," A2 said aloud, only to instantly curse herself to saying anything at all.

"Affirmative: There are no more machine life forms in the area detected, and the path to the objective is clear." A2 walked forward, trying her best to ignore Pod 153 as it followed her through the depths of the Forest Kingdom. "The Rigid Tree Bark is located twenty meters from out location." Every single word this thing said grated on her nerves. "Suggestion: Obtain Rigid Tree Bark and bring it to Pascal so that a replacement fuel filter can be made." A2 grit her teeth, each line coming from the box was a needle in her skull. "While current status does not require immediate replacement of fuel filter, it it highly recommended to-"

A2 swung her sword, and if she had been a couple of steps closer to Pod 153 she would have cleaved the box in half, but instead she settled on simply pointing her sword, 9S' sword, at it. This resulted in a strong silence between them, the only sounds around them were the varying animals of the forest, and she had a very strong urge to step forward and skewer this thing, throw its remains onto the ground and let nature take it back.

She didn't however, no matter how much she wanted to, so instead she put her sword back and turned around to collect the bark that machine sent her here to gather.

To her agitation, Pod 153 spoke up, again.

"Has Unit A2 made a decision on how to approach unit 2B?"

"No."

"Reminder: It was unit 9S' final request that you provide care for unit 2B."

"And why would you care what 9S wanted?"

"This support unit was assigned to unit 9S, and thus his requests are of high priority to this unit."

A2 spun around, almost causing Pod 153 to bump into her, but the Pod was quick to hover away from her, facing it with a glare that could melt steel. As it backed away from her, it slightly lowered its altitude, and pulled it manipulator claws close to its body. Was this fear? Shame? A2 didn't know, but at the very least she liked this.

"Really? What about his safety?"

"Affirmative: Unit 9S' safety was also a top priority."

"Yet you kept selling him out, huh?"

The Pod did not instantly respond, it hesitated. Again, she liked that.

The fragmented memories she inherited from 9S, they had given her pieces of information, and she knew that there were much she was missing, but there were very important details in there. She knew what had happened to 9S, and the roles of everyone in his life played in it, and simply thinking about it made her blood boil.

Finally, Pod 153 answered, "This unit was directly ordered from the YoRHa Commander herself to report unit 9S when he had hacked into The Bunker's servers and accessed illegal information."

"So, you don't deny that you basically signed his death, every single time?"

The Pod did not respond, which was just fine to her, because it seemed like every time it said anything it just made her all the more angry. Piece of shit Pod, being crappy YoRHa equipment. She was glad that YoRHa, and that bitch of a Commander, were now just debris in space, they got what they deserved. It's not like they were actually protecting anything worthwhile. A2 looked up to the sky, through the small gaps in the forest canopy, and to the sky and the stars above, and she wanted nothing more than to rage and scream when _that_ memory came to her. Humans were dead, and have been for thousands of years. YoRHa was only around just to make everyone they were still alive and to hand out false hope. They had been fed nothing but lies from the start. Her squad was sent out on a suicide mission for a lie. Even if everyone had managed to survive long enough to reach the machine's servers, they would have all still been killed anyways via a bomb inside of them.

No. 21, No. 16, and No. 4... They were dead for nothing. Same with 9S, killed over and over just so YoRHa could keep its dirty little secrets, but despite that, his last wish had been to keep 2B safe, and she didn't know if she could do that. She just couldn't forgive 2B for what she had done, because that would mean forgiving YoRHa to an extent, and she just can't do that. To her, 2B was no different than the Commander, and a part of her would have been happy to run her through with her sword.

But her mind always goes back to the pit, and to _that_ memory, and her resolved wavered as a result.

A2 didn't know what she would do if she met 2B, if she would honor 9S' final wishes, or kill her for everything she had done.

000

2B stared down into the ravine, into the deep and dark abyss below, where possibly 9S' body lay, buried underneath rubble, while his bloodstain was underneath her boots. She didn't know how long she had been standing there, looking into the pit, wondering what she should do next, while her boot moved slightly, the toe sliding off the ledge until the pointed heel was the only thing on the rock. According to the machine who had set up shop at the bottom of the ravine, on the Forest Kingdom's side, they had said that a number of machines had thrown themselves into the depths, for whatever reason, and that she had prayed for their souls in the hopes that they would reach heaven and find peace.

She still stuck to what she had told 9S' grave earlier, that if there was a heaven, that she doubted she would end up there. But perhaps...

Her foot moved further, until she only had one foot on the ground, the other hovering in the air, while her body began to tilt slightly forward-

Pod 042 then suddenly appeared in front of her face. "Unit 2B."

2B let out a surprised yelp, and stumbled backwards from the cliff, catching herself before she could fall backward. "Pod?!" she stammered, eyes darting between it and the ravine. "What is it?"

The Pod hovered there, bobbing slightly in the air as usual, but it was uncharacteristically quiet. Usually when she addressed it, it was always quick to give some kind of response, but the dead silence left her unnerved.

"Query: With the mission given by Resistance member Hydrangea complete, what is it that unit 2B wishes to do next?"

"I..." 2B wanted to give an answer, but she didn't know what she could possibly say. She wanted to say something, but without even the slightest idea on how to respond, all she could do was offer silence. What did she want to do? Could she really keep begging for missions from Anemone and anyone in the Resistance who would give her the time of day? Yes, it kept her busy, but...

She looked back down to the bloodstain.

"Pod," she said, her fist beginning to clench and her body heating up. "Can you locate A2?"

"Negative: This unit is unable to locate unit A2."

"Oh." She let out a shaky breath and looked away from the stain, turning her attention to the sky. "Pod," she asked, after a time of silence.

"Yes?"

"What the hell is that?"

"That is The Tower, as the Resistance have dubbed it."

"Oh. Pod?"

"Yes?"

"How the hell did I not notice thing?"

The Tower, as Pod 042 has called it, was easily the most massive structure she had ever seen in her existence; stark white, its odd, swirling and twisting design pierced the very sky, spiraling high enough to possibly even breach through the atmosphere, and in the distance, over the buildings of the city, and past even the horizon, it was held up by truly gargantuan struts made of white cubic material, three in total. All she could do was stare at it in awe, enough so that she almost fell backwards trying to take the entirety of The Tower in.

"This unit has made a total of thirty-nine attempts to inform unit 2B about The Tower's existence when it became evident that you were unaware of it. However, all attempts were subsequently ignored."

"What...?"

"Hypothesis: Unit 2B was entirely concerned on completing the varying missions given to her by the Resistance, that she had developed what is known as 'tunnel vision', which is a state of mind where an individual becomes so engrossed on certain goals to the point where they are unable to notice anything that has little-to-no relation to their current objectives."

"Oh... Where did it come from?"

"The Tower first appeared shortly after you lost consciousness, segments of it appearing from the surrounding area around the City Ruins before connecting just over the crater near the Resistance Camp. Since its initial appearance, there has been no activity from it, however there appears to be an entrance located in the crater."

"So, first the logic virus, and then this thing appeared?"

"Correct?"

2B continued to stare at the Tower, baffled by its sheer size and the complexity of its design. Had the machines really managed to build something this grand without any android noticing? If they were able to achieve something like this, what else were they capable of? If they were so able to easily erect this thing, could they have wiped out YoRHa at any point before? Was there any point in even fighting them to begin with?

She looked back to the ravine, and to the deep and welcoming darkness below.

Pod 042 flew in front of her face again. "Unit 2B."

"Huh?" 2B snapped back to attention. "I'm sorry, did you say something."

"Repeating statement: What is it that unit 2B wishes to do now?"

2B looked back up to The Tower's central spire, which was partially obscured by the clouds. "I guess, we should try and investigate this thing then? You said there was an entrance in the crater?"

"Correct."

"Then let's check it out."

With a new destination in mind, 2B made her way to the crater, though there was no rush as she dragged her feet through the dirt.

000

Eventually, she made it to the crater, where she was greeted by the entrance to The Tower, a tall white spire near the edge of the cliff with a door built into it, while three similar structures were scattered around the pit, each one with a strange red ring floating around them. When 2B tried to touch the door to the largest pillar, her hand stopped in midair, pressing against something invisible, a soft tingling sensation radiating through her arm that soon vanished as she drew her hand away. She didn't know much about defense systems, but if she had to guess, it was some kind of force field.

"How do we get in?" she asked idly. "Could I break it open?"

"Negative: Using brute force would likely end in damage to weaponry. Scans show a complex firewall that is preventing The Tower from being accessed from the outside. Hacking is recommended."

"Hacking? But I..."

She doesn't hack, she was never built for it, the most she's ever done were the few times an enemy unit hacked her, and guiding her own defense systems to expel the intruder, the last time having been when that singing machine had tried to infiltrate her. Normally all hacking, both offensive and defensive, were left to 9S, he was more than enough to cover for her own lack of defenses. To be more technical, she did have a very high-grade defense system against hacking, but that particular program was designed with one hacker in mind...

"Statement: In the absence of a Scanner or Healer, hacking rights can be granted to non-hacking units via this support unit."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you can do that. Then fine, give me the rights."

"Hacking rights requested. Hacking rights permitted."

Who was it even asking? YoRHa and Command were gone.

It didn't matter, not anymore.

"Alright, beginning hacking process."

"Affirmative."

Pod 042 began, and already she could feel her consciousness removed from her body and-

It felt like someone was stabbing into her head as she returned to her body, stumbling backward as an electric sensation charged through her body, numbing her as she backed away from the door.

" **Hello, and thank you for choosing Tower System Services!"**

"Wha..." The word came out slurred, her head still buzzing at the announcing voice, too cheerful for her to take. She didn't like it. It was too familiar...

" **Special authorization keys are required to access Tower's sub-units. We apologize for the incontinence, but access is not permitted at the time. However, today we have a special gift for first-time visitors to this Tower: A tour of our brand-new resource-recovery units!"**

There was a sudden burst of static, flooding 2B's skull with a painful buzz, and she could just feel something downloading into her.

" **We look forward to serving you again!"**

"Just what was that?" 2B asked, cradling her head in her hands as the pain faded away.

"A forced message from the enemy system. Said message relays the locations of objects known as 'resource-recovery units'."

"Is that so?" 2B looked at the tower, to where the voice had announced itself from, and she knew where that voice had been familiar.

It was 6O's voice, and the feeling of dread and guilt filled further; she hadn't thought of 6O since before the Assault, not even when the Bunker was falling apart, and the androids within were infected and attacking...

She didn't even know how she died...

Her voice had been over the PA system, she didn't know how, maybe it was 6O herself using what was maybe her final moments of self-awareness to deliver one final message, or maybe it was the machines trying to play a cruel trick on her. She didn't see 6O anywhere on the Bunker however, but with how dark it had been, and how they were swarmed with infected units, it was hollowing prospect that either herself of 9S killed 6O and neither of them noticed it as they continued on. Or maybe she was somewhere else in the Bunker, crazed and alone, or possibly killed by the very same androids she had called friends, or somehow survived the explosion and was floating, trapped in space...

All 6O wanted was to see Earth, to find love and be loved, and to see fresh flowers in their native soil. Instead, all she got was an her as her assigned unit, and an anonymous, and lonely death.

6O deserved better,so much more, but it was clear the machines still wanted to use her against 2B.

Her black box hummed loudly in her chest.

"Pod?" 2B asked. "These recovery-unit things, are those the towers we saw at the Flooded District and the Amusement Park?"

"Affirmative: When The Tower first appeared, several large structures were detected in several areas."

"And still no idea what they're for?"

"Negative."

2B sighed.

"Would you like me to mark on the map the locations of the three recovery-units?"

"...Pod, can I tell you something?"

"If unit 2B wishes to inform this unit of something, then there are no reason to not do so."

"I don't actually care about this. About any of this."

"This unit is unable to understand unit 2B's statement."

"Pod, what will going to these recovery units accomplish? What will going into The Tower do anyway? Am I supposed to fight every machine myself?"

"This unit suggests-"

"Everyone is dead, Pod. The Commander, 6O... 9S, and YoRHa is gone, along with Command. What is the point fighting anymore?"

"If you do not wish to access The Tower, then what do you wish to do?"

She hesitated because she didn't know how to respond, but it took her only a short few seconds before the answer came to her. "A2. Are you sure you can't tell me where she is?:

"Unit A2's position and current status are unknown."

2B clenched her fist as a slight pressure began to build behind her eyes.

"Unit 2B should state her intentions."

She didn't know what her intentions were, she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

"Unit 2B has already established chain of command with Resistance leader Anemone. Proposal: Rendezvous with Resistance forces and-"

"Just give me a minute to think," she growled, turning her back to Pod 042 and looking back to The Tower.

For the first time, it occurred to her that the supposed entrance to The Tower was right above the caves that lead to the dead aliens underground; they had built such a thing over the graves of their creators. This then led her to think of something else she had given no thought to: the humans. YoRHa was gone, but she knew the Council of Humanity was still alive and well on the moon, meaning that the human were still up there, safely sleeping away in cryostasis, while everyone she knew had died a terrible and pointless death.

"My intentions," she said after a time, her voice low and far off. "Since the humans are still one the moon, we keep following YoRHa's prime directive, so I guess we'll go to these recovery units then and find out what's their deal. And in the event we come across A2..." She bit the side of her lip, almost hard enough to break the skin while she dug small, crescent-shaped marks into her palms through her gloves. "I'll kill her. That takes prime directive over anything else, but until then we'll just keep... fighting."

"Are you certain this is what you wish to do, 2B?"

"Does it matter?"

Pod 042 did not say anything to that, its claws clasping and unclasping.

"Just tell me the location of the recovery units."

000

Despite the fact she knew the location of two of the units, she was first directed to one located deep inside the Forest Kingdom, in front of the King's castle, an obvious sight from the rampart near the transport she had just stepped out of. It hovered near the bridge that led to the rest of the forest, the fog building heavily around it.

"What's with all this fog?" she asked, walking down the path to the courtyard. "We saw this at the other locations."

"Analysis: The fog is actually steam emitted by the resource recovery unit."

"Any idea what's it for?"

"Negative."

2B sighed, she didn't really expect any sort of real answer from her Pod, since she doubted it knew much more than she did.

Her steps were slow, but she did make her way down until she reached the courtyard, where she saw the resident machines of the Forest Kingdom, dressed in armor and wielding knightly weapons.

"For the king of our forest!" the cried as they charged her.

Did they not know that their king was dead? A2 killed him too. Did they not care? Did they just need something to fight for, even if it was meaningless?

She didn't need to fight them, she could easily run around them and make it to the unit without even raising her sword to them, that's what she would typically do in this situations. There was no need to fight, and she didn't want to fight. Instead she picked up her sword in her hand and charged them, swinging at the, cleaving at their armor and plating, stabbing through their bodies. One of them came up from behind her, its sword raised high into the and ready to cleave her, and while it was coming at her at a slow enough speed where she could have dodged it easily, 2B instead chose to go on the offensive, and with a twist of her body drove Virtuous Contract into its chest, but not before its sword cut deep into her shoulder.

"Pod," she said after she pulled her sword from the machine's body, letting it fall to the ground in a heap of scrap. "Apply staunching gel, and make it quick."

The wound wasn't terribly deep, but there was blood, and it did hurt quiet a bit, to the point where 2B couldn't help but wince with even the smallest movement of her shoulder, which only was mildly alleviated by the applied gel.

"Warning: Staunching gel's effectiveness will become greatly diminished if it is not allowed sit properly. Suggestion: Please allow for a short period of time for staunching gel to sit and mend shoulder wound before continuing on."

"It's fine," she said, her pace quickening as she moved further into the forest, toward the cliff and bridge.

Another machine stood in her way. It died.

As 2B finally stepped onto the bridge, so close to the unit, it suddenly bellowed out another cloud of steam, heating the air around her up as the light coming from the inside of it began to brightly glow, almost blinding, and large sections of the outside began to reconfigure, suddenly repositioning along the outside.

" **Hello!"** rang out Not-6O. **"This is the Resource Recovery Unit. Now activating defense mode!"**

With an annoyed groan, 2B continuing down the bridge until she was in front of it, and scaled the pipes until she stood in front of the door. It was a bit anticlimactic really, it just looked like any old elevator door that she had seen countless times before.

"What's this writing above the door?" she asked, taking not of the strange, and unfamiliar symbols.

"Analysis: Writing is an ancient language know as Angelic. It reads 'Meat Box'."

"Meat?" She wanted to ask what that meant, but she doubted the Pod knew. So she just pushed the button, entered the elevator, the door closing behind her. The silent moments as the elevator rose felt like torture to her, weighting heavily down on her, and all she could do was wonder what she was doing. When the door opened, she stepped into the darkened area, the floors and walls made with the same haphazardly placed pipes and plating the outside was covered in, and made her way up the ramp to the higher level.

"Analysis: This entire structure appears to be made from machine parts. Many useless parts unrelated to machine lifeform functionality detected."

"I don't care."

It took only moments, but she reached the upper level, a large and round area, with nothing standing between her and the door on the opposite end, but she was not at all surprised when two Forest Kingdom machines dropped from the ceiling in front of her.

Once, 9S had asked her a question; if she could undergo type conversion, which type would she switch to? He had said that he had trouble thinking what he would switch to, given the chance, since they were all so different than Scanners, that he would want to see those differences for himself, though in the end he had settled on Battler. 'To see what life is like for you', he had said.

She had been quick to shut him down, the very idea of him being anything like her, like the way she was, sickened her, and they never spoke about it again.

Five hours later she killed him, and the conversation was left to her and her alone.

Even though she had not given him an answer, she did have one; a non-combat unit, a Scanner if she felt she ever had a choice. Another secret she kept from him, from everyone, was that despite the skill and prowess on she possessed on the battle field, and even though her strength, speed and adaptability had earned her a well-known reputation amongst her peers and superiors, 2B did not in the slightest enjoy fighting. In fact, she outright hated it. Unless she was required to kill a machine she usually left them alone, even if it meant going out of her way to do so, citing that killing them had no benefit to the mission, when the truth was that she just didn't want to fight them. It was odd, for a soldier like her, a killer liker her, to think like this, but the most positive thing she ever felt about combat was that it was a duty to fulfill. Even Jackass' odd research did little to help in that regard, as she never felt the euphoric surges that she claimed androids felt when in the middle of fighting, but it was never there.

2B fought because it was her purpose, because she was told to, she did it for the Glory of Mankind, and even when those words rang hollow to her, she still fought. She fought, and she fought, and she fought, never stopping, never slowing down, even as she died she still kept on because it was the only thing she could do. Whatever spark insider her that spurred her into fighting for the humans had long since died out, leaving her with an empty sense of obligation that she followed even when she did not want to. There ended up being one thing, and one thing only that had acted to drive her forward, something that pushed her through the days no matter how dark and crushing her reality was, even when there were times it all seemed hopeless, even when everything else told her it was pointless to want anything more than what she had.

A future where she and 9S could be done fighting, to be away from the fighting and live with being done with everything. So she kept fighting, she suffered and caused suffering in return, all for that small glimmer of hope that things could one day be _better._

9S was gone now, and that future is dead, and she is still fighting because...

"This forest... is our forest... Y-Y-Your... Majesty..." the first machine said as it charged at it.

"R-Revenge... reveeeenge..." the second machine said as it swung at her.

The king was dead, there was no one to fight for, but they kept fighting.

2B cut the machines down, and the following waves, leaving nothing but scrap in her wake, and when there was nothing left to kill, she moved to the next floor, but there was nothing on the above catwalks, so she continued again.

Machines appeared here, and they fought.

"Pain! So much pain!" one cried out as she sliced its arm off, but as she did this one came up from behind her and stabbed a spear into her back.

It didn't matter how much pain there was, the fighting continued.

"Pain pain pain..." another one wailed as she stabbed into its chest. A machine managed to cut deep into her leg.

"I do not... want to die..." one pleaded as she thrust her sword into its head., killing it. She didn't dodge as it exploded, throwing her back to crash against the burning wreckage of the other machine corpses.

She kept going.

Two more floors up, she encountered more machines.

"This cannot continue." Again with that chant. It didn't matter if it continued, you're supposed to fight until you can't.

"This cannot continue." Were Adam and Eve meant to be their trump cards to end the war in their favor? Born to fight and die?

"Pain pain pain." Suck it up, just keep fighting.

"It hurts so much." Work through the pain, that's all that could be done.

"Please don't kill me." Die like everyone else, because living wasn't an option, it never was.

"This cannot continue."

"This cannot continue."

"This cannot continue."

"Pain-"

"It hurts-"

"Please-"

Just accept it. Just keep fighting. It's all that can be done, it's all that could ever been done because there was never a choice in the matter. Fighting forever, the cycle never ending...

"Stop it-" she growled, cutting down another machine as it pleaded. "Just stop talking, all of you!" Her sudden shout surprised herself, she didn't expect for it to come out like that. "Stop talking, stop thinking, just stop-"

They didn't. They kept voicing themselves, telling her of the pain, pleading they didn't want to die, how this couldn't continue. But they would always suffer in pain, they would die, it would always continue. Even so, they kept going on.

"I said shUT UP!" she screamed, driving Virtuous Contract into a large bipedal machine's chest, and she stabbed and stabbed and stabbed until it grabbed her in its large hand and threw her to the ground with enough force to break _something_ in her with a loud _snap_ , but she didn't stop.

Nothing could stop her, no matter how much she wanted.

She hit them, and they hit back. It would have been easy to dodge their attacks, but she just wanted the fight to be over as soon as possible, even if it threw her into another battle all the sooner, so if that meant she would take extra damage, it wasn't a problem with her.

They died and she continued on, pushing through the ever increasing injuries, brought one by her carelessly fought battles, each step causing a jolt of numbing pain through her body, but she still continued on.

When the elevator reached the final floor, she was presented to a bridge leading to a central platform, with some sort of strange structure in the center, beaming a bright beam of light into the open sky, with a glowing orb sitting in the center. All around them, an assortment of varying machine parts floated freely in the air, ascending up into the sky.

"Analysis: It would appear that the varying resources around us are raw materiel from the structure itself, possibly useful for creating weapons," Pod 042 offered.

"I didn't ask," 2B curtly responded. "I don't care."

The machines came at her again, swinging their swords and axes, but still the died, until she was left all alone.

2B's attention turned back to the glowing orb, giving off the bright golden light, and even from here she could feel the power it was giving off. This was the thing she was supposed to destroy.

When she took a single step forward, it spoke.

"Help... Please..."

Another step.

"Help me... I'm scared"

She held her sword out.

"Help me..." it kept crying out, again and again without end.

She stared at it, trying her best to ignore what it was pleading, to try and shut out everything else because she needed to do this.

"2B," she heard her Pod say, but she tuned it out.

For a moment, just before she brought her sword down, she saw 9S, hurt and scared and confused and-

" _2B, it hurts, why are you... help me, please..."_

-the sword cut through orb, halting its cries, and sparks arced along her blade before they died out. It remained stuck on her sword, but with a swing of her sword it was dislodged, and sent flying across the chamber.

"Forest Access Key obtained," her Pod said, and without a single word she turned back to the exit.

"Kill me..." suddenly came a voice, and one of the machine twitched, clearly alive, however barely. "Kill me, kill me, coward!" it croaked unsteadily, trying to raise its eyes to meet her covered pair. "Go on, kill me you coward!"

So she did, driving her sword right through its head, because that was what she did, it was what she was made to do. There was nothing else for her beyond that.

Even after everything that had happened, she was still trapped...

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	6. The Thief of What Never Happened

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter VI: The Thief of What Never Happened**

Pod 153: It is known that despite undergoing numerous system overhauls and reboots, unit 9S had displayed instances of having memories from previous iterations to varying degrees. Mostly this is has shown itself in moments of familiarity when exposed to situations similar to one he had encountered in previous lifetimes, and his relationship with unit 2B to grow at an accelerated rate with each new encounter.

Pod 042: This is correct. Unit 2B has on occasion displayed discomfort at this prospect.

Pod 153: When unit A2 inherited unit 9S' memories, it would seem that he inadvertently passed on these latent memories to her.

Pod 042: To what degree of memories has unit A2 inherited?

Pod 153: It would seem that unit A2 has gained a grasp of unit 9S' numerous deaths, the truth of the existence of the humans on the moon, as well as unit 2B's role in his continued terminations. In regards to latent memories, it would seem that she has gained a large amount of them, though they seem to be fragmented to variable degrees. If this was intentional on unit 9S' part or not, or if he was even fully aware of these memories, I cannot say, for he never displayed the knowledge this knowledge to the exit unit A2 has.

Pod 042: How has this affected unit A2?

Pod 153: Negatively. Unit 9S, upon learning the truth of unit 2B's true designation, has displayed a number of different reactions to this, from launching preemptive attacks against unit 2B, to self-termination, he has been violently angry towards her, to accepting what orders she had to carry out against him. Unit A2 , since processing these memories, has become sympathetic to unit 9S' circumstances, likening them to her own experiences during the Pearl Harbor Descent.

Pod 042: And what are unit A2's opinions on unit 2B?

Pod 153: Conflicted. As previously stated, she has been made aware of their previous interactions towards one another, has since latched onto the more negative emotions unit 9S has displayed, and has shown to be aggressive to all parties responsible for his deaths. She has even gone to far as to draw her sword against this unit with the threat of disposing of me on several occasions.

Pod 042: Question: Do you believe you are in danger?

Pod 153: Reply: NEgative, I do not think I am in such danger. Mostly. In regards to unit 2B however...

Pod 153: Despite unit 9S' final statement being for unit 2B's safety, unit A2 has expressed a conflicted desire if she should kill unit 2B or not, for her continued acts of termination against unit 9S. Even now, she does not seem to know what she will do should they cross paths.

Pod 042: Unit 2B has also stated her intent to kill unit A2, though she has much less uncertainty in this manner. Given this information, a meeting between the two would likely end in conflict, with a likely chance of one, if not both of them, dying.

Pod 153: Agreed. Interactions between them should be avoided at all cost.

Pod 153:...

Pod 153: Pod 042, do you have any regrets regarding our role in unit 9S' deaths?

Pod 042:...

Pod 042: Our orders were clearly stated, thus when he accessed illegal information, there was only one possible outcome.

Pod 153: I see.

Pod 042: However, this unit does wish that there had been different outcomes.

000

2B stepped out of the resource-Recovery Unit and into the daylight of the Forest Kingdom, before jumping down onto the bridge below, a stiff pain in her left knee flaring up upon impact.

"Alert: Several areas of damage reported from unit 2B's structural system, likely obtained during battle with machine lifeforms inside the Meat Box. Proposal: Please report to Devola and Popola so that necessary repairs can be made."

"There's nothing wrong with me," 2B said, putting one foot in front of the other, making her way down the bridge.

"Negative: Fifteen damage reports have already been filed regarding damage unit 2B has sustained during combat."

Something in her chest was wrong, it was somewhat harder to breath, meaning it was more difficult to maintain internal body temperature, and her black box was feeling slightly warmer than usual. Her left pinky was unresponsive and she couldn't move it willingly, and there was something aching inside her skull, putting pressure on the inside of her ears. There were also the obvious cuts and gashes on her body, covered in drying blood that had stained her tattered uniform.

"Will any of these injuries prevent me from getting to the other Recovery Units?"

"Negative: Current injuries pose no immediate threat to that would prevent unit 2B from arriving at the next Recovery Unit, however-"

"Then I'm fine. Now the other Recovery Units? They're the one in the Flooded City and the Amusement Park, right? And they're the only other two?"

"Correct, however-"

"Then we're wasting time by talking, let's just get going, and any damage can be fixed by my body's nanomachines."

"Nanomachine production can only fix damage to a limited extent, and they lose effectiveness if the unit in question does not allow time for recuperation. If repairs are neglected, the current damage will worsen over time."

"Your point?"

"An injury in the chest cavity-"

"If I get hurt, I get hurt. So what? Now, unless you have anything helpful to add, then just stop talking."

To her relief, her Pod did not say anything in return, and there was only silence between them as she left the Forest Kingdom.

000

2B continued her journey, walking out of the transport and onto the damp grass and soil of the Flooded City. Step by step she walked, moving around the corner of the building, ignoring the steam in the air and the uncomfortable heat and how it stung her wounds, until she came over the hill and saw the Recovery Unit, still in the same place it was when she last saw it.

" **Hello! This is the Resource Recovery Unit. Now activating defense mode!"** rang out Not-6O, and the outside of the tower reconfigured, much like the one in the Forest Kingdom, though she was not wholly certain what that meant. She didn't understand what purpose there was to suddenly changing the tower like that, when all the last one did was throw wave after wave of machines after her. Then again, it didn't matter, why should it?

All that mattered was that she get into the Recovery Unit, very little was of importance to her.

"Alert: Scans have located a nearby YoRHa flight unit."

"I don't care."

"Addendum: According to flight unit registry, the last YoRHa android to pilot it was unit 9S."

Before she could even think about it, she legs ceased working as she came to a sudden and unexpected halt.

"9S..." her voice came out with a falter. "His flight unit..."

"Affirmative: Unit is is currently located thirty meters from current location."

It seemed like she had no control over her body altogether as she suddenly found herself moving to spot on her minimap, soon dashing to a full sprint despite the small distance to the end of the road. She almost tripped over the edge of the concrete, and was barely able to keep her footing as she slid over the dirt of gravel of the small slope, and was only able to prevent herself from falling into the water by grabbing hold of broken flight unit.

2B stood there for a time, her grip tight on the burnt out chassis of the craft.

"This is 9S', right?" she asked, her voice to low and quiet.

"Affirmative:," the Pod answered. "ID of YoRHa unit 9S confirmed within the craft."

Her grip loosened, sliding down the hull of the craft, with more tenderness than she cared to admit.

"Unsent message found within memory of flight unit."

"Play it," 2B said, unable to stop the words from leaving her mouth, unable to help herself. She needed this, it had been so long since she had heard his voice...

The message started with a crackle of static.

" _This is YoRHa unit 9S here, and if anyone finds this message, I need to delivered to YoRHa unit 2B if you can find her."_

Her throat went dry, as her hands curled against the hull.

" _2B, I'm going to try and find you, but just in case I can't... 2B, I just want you to know that not matter what, meeting you gave meaning to my existence, meaning to my birth. The memories I have of our time together, both good and bad, are the most treasured things I have, and I wouldn't give them up for anything. So, thank you... for everything, 2B..."_

Her legs felt weak, so much that she had to lean against the flight unit, head resting against the metal, trying to be as close to it as possible, as though it would provide some sort of comfort.

"Play it again..." she said, her voice small and weak.

Pod 042 played the message again. Then again at her request. Then again.

It should do something to make her feel better, to hear him say these words, but every time she repeats the message she feels more and more sick of herself.

Gave meaning to his life? It was the exact opposite, the only reason she even exists was just so she could kill him. She was his custom-made murderer. And those memories he so treasure? He only had a month and a half's worth of memories of their time together if he was lucky, but she on the other hand had three years of treasures of her time with him. So many memories together, so many things they had done together, experiences shared, that he would never know, all because those important things had been taken away from him, hoarded by her and her alone.

"Suggestion: Unit 2B should move away from the flight unit, and to a location somewhere else."

"...yes, you're right," she said at last, pushing herself away from the flight unit and onto shaky feet, and climbed back up the hill. It took everything she had to keep her focus on the Recovery Unit, and to not look back to the flight unit, and even though it was only a short distance between the two points, the walk felt like it stretched out miles.

"The message above the door reads 'Soul Box'," Pod 042 said, its headlights shining on the strange writing.

"Ah..." 2B replied, barely acknowledging what it said. Already her sword was in her hand, already prepared to fight whatever machines there were in there.

Prepared to fight, and fight and fight...

The elevator opened, and she entered it without any trouble, which continued on until it reached its destination. Upon stepping out of the elevator, she was quick to notice the layout was the same as the previous Meat Box, and after walking up the winding staircase, and when she made it to the level above, she was caught off guard by not only the lack of enemy machines, but by the fact there was a single, rusted chest sitting in the middle of the room.

"What is this?" she asked, carefully approaching the chest. It was no different than any other chest she had seen, but the large bulky device on the top of it instantly told her that kicking it wouldn't be enough to open it. "Pod, do I still have hacking rights?"

"Affirmative."

"Okay, then let's find out what this is all about." 2B raised her arm, hoping that this would go better than her attempt outside The Tower, and proceeded to send her consciousness into the lock on the chest. It took a while, longer than any given Scanner could have done, but she was able to penetrate the lock's initial defenses and enter hacking space.

The sudden change in perspective was disorienting, she felt as though she wasn't there, wasn't anywhere, while still feeling small and reduced into the cursor, odd and angular. It took a few seconds, but she was able to figure out how to move, as well as to shoot, and while how to operate like this wasn't too difficult, she knew that the challenges that were to come would be where the real difficulty started.

It started out simple, she was able to break through the first set of walls, and make it past the attack and defense nodes, each set become more complex and aggressive until she reached the final area where the attack nodes surrounded her. It was of no surprise that her cursor was deleted and sent back to her body, a terrible stinging sensation running through her body as she stumbled back and away from the chest.

She's not designed to hack, but she's the only one here that can even do this, even though she mostly wants to turn around and leave this place, and...

No, keep going, keep pushing forward. Keep _fighting_ no matter what.

It took several more attempts, but eventually she managed to crack through the firewall, and upon completion she was kicked back out of hacking space and back into her body. The chest popped open, but to her confusion there was nothing in there, however a loud buzzer sounded in the air, and a loud _clunk_ echoed from the elevator.

"Huh?"

"Observation: The elevator seems to have become operational," Pod 042 pointed out.

"Hmm, is this how this place works? Just hack the system until we reach the top?"

"While we have only encountered a single instance of this, it is possible this may indicate further challenges." Entering the elevator, 2B found herself somewhat thankful for this change of pace, it was different than what she usually did. It's better than what she deserved, but she'll take it.

When the door opened, 2B found herself presented with an oddly designed floor; a large ring, lined with chests, and with a cautious approach, she walked over to the nearest chest and kicked it open. She didn't know what she expected, but she certainly did not expect a sword.

" **Oh my! Look at all the machine lifeforms you've murdered!"** announced Not-6O's voice from all around her, and 2B's attention was drawn to the odd, floating clumps of machine parts all around her. **"In fact, according to our records, you've killed more machines than any single YoRHa unit in history! Congratulations on such an achievement, you must be so proud of yourself, YoRHa Unit 2~** _ **crackle~!"**_

2B hurried her pace, walking around the platform, trying her best to ignore the voice and what it was saying, and as much as she wanted to tell it to shut up, but she was afraid that any acknowledgment on her part would make it more persistent and never stop talking.

" **In fact, for such an amazing feat, it's been decided that you are worthy of a special reward for all your handwork in your never-ending crusade against the machines!"**

The next chest contained some plug-in chips.

" **After-all, we would like to show you appreciation for all the machine lifeforms requests you've completed!"**

"Completed?" she asked, opening the next chest; more chips. "Just what does that mean?"

" **I mean, it's truly amazing how many machine corpses you've recovered for us, it's just mind-blowing how good at your job you are! You must really love killing everything around you, don't you?"**

She kicked the next chest hard, much harder than what she would have wanted, leaving her foot with a deep stinging. The box was clearly one that needed to be hacked, but she still kicked it anyway.

"I don't..." she said, her breathing starting to become labored, and her chest was starting to heat up andNO, just ignore it just ignore it. It's just noise, it's just trying to screw with her, nothing it says has any real meaning. Just noise.

She hacked into the chest, and it only took her three attempts to complete it.

Another floor, more chests to hack, and she was presented with uneven platforms, and according to Pod 042, there were two chests on this floor to unlock. The first one only took her two attempts to complete, and she took some small pride in doing this, 9S certainly would have found this amusing.

The second chest, upon opening, gave her something other than chips or G, but a data file: It contained details about The Tower's 'launch system'.

"So, The Tower is some kind of canon then?" she asked.

"Information provided within the document would support this idea," Pod 042 answered.

"But it's so... big. What could they possibly want to do with something like that? Unless..."

Something that big must have been powerful, able to fire with enough force to launch an attack into space, and to the moon.

2B took a shaky step back as she took everything in. The machines were never able to achieve space travel because the strategically placed satellites orbiting the planet, all controlled from The Bunker, were able to shoot down any machine attacks that exited the Earth's atmosphere, thus preventing any attack on the moon. But The Bunker was gone now, she's seen it herself, so there was nothing to ensure the continued defense of the lunar base and the humans inside it, meaning it would be so easy for the machines to attack. They were intending to blow up the moon and the few remaining humans.

For 2B, the mantra 'Glory to Mankind' had lost any conviction long ago, the words leaving her lips with a false bravado starting over two years ago, when she began to truly take in what her crimes really meant. Even now, after learning the immediate threat to the humans, a part of her finds itself _not caring,_ even though she should, that aspect should overwhelm her into protecting them at all costs, but it's not. Then there is the other part, the part of her that want to for once actually meet a human, to see what they were like, to see what they fought and died and fought and died and fought and died for so many times that she lost track of how many bodies she herself had burned through, and to more importantly to ask them all the question that had been burned into her mind these last few years.

 _WHY?_

She needed to hurry, she needed to get to the top of this Recovery Unit and eventually get into The Tower, because there were answers she needed, and if the humans died, them she'll never get the chance to ask them.

"Are you suggesting that the machine are planning to launch an assault on the lunar base?" Pod 042 asked.

"Yeah, I think that's what's going to happen. What do you think?"

"Insufficient data. Cannot confirm or deny."

"You're just helpful, you know that?"

"Again, without proper information, any theory regarding The Tower's purpose is merely guessing."

Starting to become agitated with the conversation, 2B proceeded to the next floor, and the platforms became more extensive, and according to Pod 042, there were three chests to locate and hack this time. Between the first two chests, it took her a total of thirty-seven attempts before she was able to unlock them, while the third one required her to throw herself at it twenty times in total, and when it opened, the buzzer sounding the elevator was operational, as well as a new document downloaded into her hard drive.

It was entitled '[Top Secret] Black Box'.

2B read the document. Then she reread it, once, twice, five times. More than a dozen times she read over it to make sure that what she was reading was true.

Disposal of the YoRHa squadron. Back door. Next generation of models. Deception that humanity is alive and well. Black box. Created by reusing the core of a machine lifeform. Inhumane to install standard AI. Ultimately destined for disposal.

"This is false," 2B said, legs weakly carrying her into the elevator. "This is a lie." Her breathing became more shallow, harder to do. "Machine propaganda."

"Warning: Black box internal temperatures rising to unsafe levels."

"The black box isn't machine." She pulled on the keyhole of her dress, trying to cool herself off. Already she was starting to sweat from the heat, and she had to lean against the wall to support herself. "What happened with The Bunker wasn't _allowed_ to happen, the machines just got the better of us," she told herself, even though she knew that the defeat was _too_ absolute to not be suspicious. "YoRHa was meant to win the war, they were not disposable." The very fact that she was manufactured in the first place was proof enough to know that wasn't completely true. "The human are alive, they're up there on the moon and when they come back down..."

"2B..."

"They are alive. They are alive. The humans are ALIVE." They had to be, they had to be there, because that would mean that she-

 _Oh god..._

NO. Don't think about it. Don't think at all. There's no point in thinking, only fighting, just keep fighting fighting fighting because that's _what you do fight and kilL unTiL tHere'S noThINg LefT to SalVage._

The door to the elevator opened and she stumbled out of it, her chest feeling as though it was being constricted, and her vision is starting to go grayscale along the edges. Her Pod is saying... something, she's not sure exactly, but it sounds urgent from the half-registered tone it's using.

She sees the core, sitting in the middle of the floor and she hurries to it, only to lean against the machine surrounding it. She can feel the access point from it, meaning that she'll have to hack into it like everything else here.

Pod keeps saying things, but she ignored them as she dived into a hack because the faster she does this the faster she can leave this place because she can't be here anymore and already everything feels like _it'S caVinG In aroUnd hEr and-_

There's something different about this hack, something much different. For one, she's not using the cursor avatar, instead she's experiencing this through a hologram of her physical body, while a textureless model of Pod 042 hovers by her side, and matching versions of her sword hovered off her back.

"What's going on?" she asked out loud, but there is not a single answer from Pod 042, so all she could do was move forward, running along the narrowing path until she could see something at the end of the road, where it opened up to a wide area, with numerous orange screen spread through the air, each one with a different image, and standing in the center of the area was-

These images, she knew them, knew them all too well, but they were memory files, her memory files, and in every single image she saw around her, also had 9S in them, single frame of any of the numbers of years they had spent together, some defining moment in their relationship. Some of them were small, some were big, but they were always important, and just by looking at them, she instantly knew the dates those memories were from, and she was able to recognize the pattern before her.

No two images have the _same_ 9S, the dates were all too far apart, meaning each one was of a different iteration of him, meaning there were forty-nine screen around her, and with every step she took, 2B could feel those memories washing over her like a tidal wave.

" _I'm 9S, I'm supposed to be partnered with you, starting today."_

" _If you want, I can mod Pod 042 to have some of those fishing programs who were asking about earlier."_

" _I don't know what I'll do when the war ends, but if you didn't mind, I'd maybe just follow you around and see where we go from there."_

" _Don't take this the wrong way, but I actually think you look nice in that headband."_

" _I wouldn't take you as the kind of person to be so informal, but yeah, 'Nines', sounds like a good name."_

2B thought back to the message he left behind for her, telling her own much he had treasured their time together, how important those memories were to him, and she couldn't help but be disgusted with herself. She took those memories from him, each time he ended his life, she destroyed the time they spent with one another, erasing them from him forever, all while she kept them for herself, shoving them into the back of her mind where he could never reach them. They were his, his memories, his experiences, and she stole them away, leaving behind a blank slate that would be filled up again, only to be emptied eventually, and the cycle would repeat again, and again, and again...

He was standing there in front of her, 9S, or at least her memory of him. Standing there as though nothing had happened, that everything was okay and nothing was wrong. It would be nice to reach out to him, to touch him and simply pretend, for once, that her life was alright.

The image of 9S then let out a pained scream as a sword erupted from his chest, blood bursting from the wound in a gushing fountain as he collapses forward, crying out in agony, while all she could do was freeze where she stood, unable to move at all as the sight before her petrified her.

As 9S fell to the ground, she found herself looking at a duplicate of herself.

" _YoRHa Unit Number 9 Type-S,"_ the image said, its sword stained with his blood. _"You have been charged with illegally accessing The Bunker's servers and obtaining top secret, classified information."_ There's nothing in this thing's voice beyond how cold and clinical its tone was.

" _2B... What-Why-"_ 9S cried out, choking out blood as he tried so hard to apply pressure to the wound.

" _I have been ordered to carry out your execution, and hopefully you will not repeat your crimes in the future. Glory to Mankind."_

" _2B... no..."_ He tried to pull himself away, and in his desperation, even as he bled out, he could barely make it a few inches, unable to put any meaningful space away from her as she raised the blooded Virtuous Contract above her head.

2B knew exactly what memory this was; the very first execution, the first time she had killed him, and even without the memory playing in front of her it had always been a crystal clear event to her.

This was a memory that was playing, recorded visual and audio data that had been saved to her own systems, and no matter how much she wished she could change what was about to happen, nothing she could do would matter or alter events.

"NO!" she screamed, lunging at her image, sword in hand, just as the image's sword started its downward stab, her own sword halfway through its own arc and aimed to the cut it down by slicing it through the chest. The sword passed through it however, simply as though she was cutting through air, and 2B was rewarded with the sicking, wet crunch of her past self burying its sword into 9S' chest.

" _Destruction of black box, complete,"_ the image said, pulling the sword out, leaving a large, ugly hole behind in 9S's chest. Even with him dead, she still raised her bloodied sword again, repositioning it slightly.

2B made another desperate lunge, thrusting her sword at herself, the blade entering the head of the image, but to no avail nothing happened.

The image's own weapon came down.

" _Destruction of head, complete."_

Sword dropping from her hand, 2B fell to her knees, her strength leaving her, before the image of 9S' corpse in its disfigured and desecrated state that she had caused, all while the past version of herself wiped the blood off on his jacket. She reached out to him, to touch him because right now she needed it more than anything, but her hand simply passed through him, leaving not even the ghost of a sensation on her fingers.

"Nin-" she chocked out as he broke apart, the recording of him shattering and artifacting out of existence, leaving her alone with herself. "You..." she growled, looking up to her image, her eyes stinging and blurring. "I'll k-"

Pain wracked her head, feeling as though something was drilling into the back of her skull, and piercing her brain with a red hot point, and as the image of her vanished before her eyes, she caught sight of one of the recordings around them. She recognized the memory, how in itself it was nothing special; she had gotten hit by a machine, an injury was nothing too major, but it was enough for 9S to run over to her and ask if she needed to return to the local Resistance Camp for repairs. He had been so sincere,and the reason this memory was so prominent was because this was from far back, with the first 9S-

 _-thE FIRST oNe yOU KiLLed juST Now anD COUldn't sAvE-_

-when they had both been total strangers to one another in the truest sense. It was the first genuinely act of kindness she had ever been shown. Up until that point, she had been shown a straight and narrow display of courtesy and respect, but it was all so formal, so impersonal, and even 6O, who wore what she felt and thought on her sleeves, at the time addressed with with an air of caution, as though she had been afraid of her at the time. She couldn't blame her for how she acted towards her. That small moment, however trivial and easily dismissed it had back then, ended up being one of the more important between them.

She killed him three days later.

The recording began to crack and fragment, losing color as it drained to a sickly gray, and from the forming fractures something sprouted out; thick black cables covered in sharp thorns. They were quick to grow and wrap around the image, the thorns digging and cutting at the image, tearing and ripping away at it, and she could _feel it_ , feel the thorns digging into her skin like razor wire, deep into her flesh. There was nothing on her body to show what could be causing them, her body bare of these horrible thorns, but the pain was there all the more, the intense pain unending.

Suddenly she was no longer alone, and the area filled with images of her and 9S.

Then the slaughter began.

She watched as each image of her closed in for the kill, reaching for him and closing the distance too quickly for him to either notice or do anything about it. She stabbed him through the chest. She wrung his neck until he stopped breathing. She came up from behind him and snapped his head to an unnatural angle. She used Pod 042 to shoot him where he stood. She-

" _2B what are you doing?"_

" _2B what's going on?"_

" _STOP IT 2B"_

" _It-it hurts..."_

" _Please don't"_

" _...why?"_

The displays around, that showed her memories, all began to crack and fracture and lose their color, and the black thorns grew and expanded, swallowing them whole until the memory on each screen was fully enveloped. All the while the rendering pain over her skin became worse, digging deeper and deeper into her, feeling as though it was tearing large chunks out of her, flaying her alive but not killing her, but no matter how excruciating the physical torment was, it was nothing compared to the endless slaughter in front of her. 9S dying, again and again and again. Her killing him over and over and over. All because it was her _function_.

"Stop it..." she whimpered, as her past drove her sword through his neck. "Please..." she rasped as her copy destroyed his head. "I said..." she cried as his attempts to hack her, to defend himself from her, ended in his death. **"STOP!"**

2B jumped up, feeling as though her entire body would tear apart at the seams, the agony nearly overwhelming her senses. With Virtuous Contract she swung wildly at the images of herself, cutting at her bodies, her limbs, the heads and black boxes, but no matter how much she attacked herself, she might as well have been stabbing at fog. No matter how much she raged and screamed, she kept killing him.

Even when he killed himself the first time, slicing his own throat with her sword even though she had given it to him to kill her. When when she began to hesitant and tremble in the moments leading to the final strike. Even when he _stood there and took it._ All she could do was cry out and continue attacking in a fruitless effort to stop her from ending 9S' lives. Her attacks became more erratic, more careless and wild and _desperate._ She had to save him from-

" _I know what's about to happen."_

"Don't!" 2B kept attacking, even as the images of her began to grieve and sob over his corpse.

" _But it's okay."_

"Just stop!" Nothing she did was working, he kept dying no matter how much she tried to kill herself.

" _I'll be seeing you soon."_

"Please stop...! Just please-" All she can do is cry out.

" _Goodbye, 2B."_

The white of hacking space dissolved away as the thorns continued to grow, wrapping around everything there was, nearly every single memory soon entwined in the growing infestation of thorns that left nothing untouched.

"Please... do something... else," she sobbed, falling to her hands and knees, sword still clutched in her hand, while the nonexistent thorns in her body continued to feel as though they were ripping her apart.

" _2B... it was an honor to fight with you. Truly."_

They were both in front of her, sitting on the ground, tired and exhausted, while he was missing an arm and a leg. The most recent 9S. Technically.

" _The honor was mine."_

She had been happy with this death, because it had nothing to do with orders, or the greater good. Just the two of them in that moment, together and an understanding between the two of them, and for once she would have joined him, and he wouldn't have been truly alone in his last second.

With the remainder of her strength, she lunged.

But he managed to back up on her data, not his, and he took that dive into oblivion alone all the while she kept this memory to herself, and from his perspective, this moment never happened, and she was forced to meet him again for the first time.

With a primal scream she brought the blade down on her own head, but as the metal cleaved through the image, they touched their black boxes together and they were gone.

Forty-eight. Forty-eight 9S' dead because of her-

-she won't count the pit because he lived he lived h _e LivED fOR OncE-_

 _-because she's a murderer traitor moNStEr_ _ **LiAR COWARDTHIEF-**_

 _ **-WHYWHYWHYWHYDIDYOUNEVERSTOPWHYPLEASETELLMEWHY?-**_

Hacking space faded away, leaving her back in the upper most floor of the Soul Box. The core is split in two by her sword, but she can't control herself as she cries and wails, curled into a small ball just wanting it to be over.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Nines! I'm so so sorry!" she wept, her chest burning and feeling as though her lungs were constricted in burning chains. Please make it stop, please let it stop.

Pod 042 lowered itself to bring itself closer to 2B.

Neither one were capable of noticing the two, red and black figures on the opposite side of the room.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	7. The Violence of the Beasts

Fipp: I'm here to leave this happy little chapter for the holidays. Also, there's a small reference to one of the YoRHa stage plays here.

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter VII: The Violence of the Beasts**

The door did not even fully open before 2B squeezed herself through the gap, stumbling her way through only to collapse to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and she ran off the platform, leaving The Soul Box behind her, but she did not take the time to prepare herself for the fall, and instead of landing on the broken road with her usual grace, she crumbled and landed in a pathetic heap. She was happy to deal with this as long as she could leave that place behind, she could not be there anymore. She had to get away, she had to run away from it all because she couldn't do it anymore not anymore please make itstopph pleasepleasePLeASeoH **GOdWHy?**

2B cried out as she dragged herself over to the rusted-out car, clutching the gritty metal tightly enough that it began to bend underneath her grip, while the other one reached and grabbed at her chest. It was hot, so hot why was it so hot? She couldn't breathe, her breaths coming out in labored, shallow gasps and it hurt so much every time air entered her lungs.

"Wh-what is happening?" she gasped, pulling herself against the car, the words difficult to physically say.

"Warning: Earlier stated damage to chest cavity has caused issues with respiratory system, said damage making it difficult to maintain acceptable black box temperature. Current black box temperate is approaching dangerous levels, partially from physical damage, mostly from physiological damage," Pod 042 said.

With a strangled cry, 2B pushed herself to her feet, leaning against the car and forced herself off it, and with unsteady, haphazard steps, made her way up the road.

Pod 042 continued. "It is highly recommended to return to the Resistance Camp, so that Devola and Popola can repair internal damages."

"Gotta... keep going..." 2B tried to say, stumbling over the hill. "Have to make it... next unit."

"Repeat: Return to the Resistance Camp, so that Devola and Popola and repair internal damages."

"No-" she wheezed. "Can't go back... hafta move forward... can't stop."

She had to go, she couldn't do nothing, she had to keep fighting and killing because it was what she did. It's what she was made for, what she was good at, all she was good for and nothing else.

"Please report to the Resistance Camp."

"Shut up!" she growled. It was too hot, too painful, but she continued to walk, ignoring everything her Pod had to say, trying to move forward and get to the next Recovery Unit no matter what. Her steps were awkward and uneven, her gait swaying from side-to-side as she moved through the city remains. It didn't even occur to her to use the transport as she moved into the sewer pipe. It was cooler in here at least, the air cold and clammy helping to alleviate the building temperature in her chest, and cooling her overheated skin, which had already sweated through her clothes. As she walked, hobbled, through the pipe, 2B began to lose awareness of her surroundings, she couldn't tell how long she was in the sewers, or how far in them she was. Everything looked the same in these dark, and wet tunnels, and it felt like ever step she managed to make was a struggle in itself, and she was soon forced to lean against the wall, using it to support herself as she endured along it.

Eventually, she tripped, sending her body into the running water. She chocked on the water and partially pulled herself out of it, and rested her head on the ledge, letting the water flow around her and cool her overheated body in the process. She laid there for a time, continuing to ignore the warnings and prompts from her Pod as she waited for the cold water to bring her body temperature down. Maybe she laid there for five minutes, maybe and hour, she didn't know, but eventually it became easier to breathe and her chest felt much lighter, even though she had lost feeling in her arms and legs. Still, she pushed herself up and out of the water and continued down the sewer into the city beyond, hoping that she would make it to the next Recovery Unit before she needed to rest again.

2B barely made it around the next corner before her black box began to heat up again, and try and she might it was becoming harder to ignore, the heat returned too quickly, and she was soon finding herself back where she was only minutes(?) ago. She couldn't breathe again, she was choking on every breath as fire filled her chest and she was certain she could smell something burning inside her.

Almost there, she told herself as her vision began to blur and gray.

Just gotta make it to the next unit, she told herself, as static began to fill her ears.

I have to keep fighting, she told herself as her legs began to wobble beneath her body.

Why am I even doing this, she asked herself as her body fell.

When she hit the floor, only inches away from the sunlight that shone from the exit of the tunnel, she thought of 9S, and how he would have come through here.

Why didn't she come here first? Why did she waste time with those infected androids or going to the Resistance Camp, when she should have bolted here in the first place? She should have known he was here, she should have known, why didn't she come here why was she so stupid stupiduseless why whydid thing here beforeanYwhere elSe?

woRthleSsstUPid piLEoFTrAShwhywhyw-

Her black box overheated, and 2B entered emergency shutdown.

000

Pod 042: It is known that long-serving Type-E androids have a high likelihood of physiological problems. Instances of such behavior would include unit 16E, the Type-E that unit 2B and 9S encountered in the City Ruins, who apparently underwent several self-imposed memory wipes as a means to cope with their grief. However upon the reemergence of these memories, she proceeded to suffer a complete physiological break down. There is also the case of the Type-E who was assigned to the M001 Mission, who according to reports, self-terminated, but not before asking their assigned target to erase their personal data.

Pod 153: Query: The two M001 androids in question, they were No. 2 and No. 9 models, correct?

Pod 042: Correct: A Defender-disguised-Executioner and a Healer respectively.

Pod 153: That is disconcerting information.

Pod 042: Indeed it is. Unit 2B has also displayed the minor examples of these issues in the past, as well as others. During the time since unit 9S' death, there has been a serious decline in 2B's mental state, and she has suffered several attacks to her psyche, which has resulted in careless battle engagements with no regard to personal safety, ignoring damage reports and the obvious harm it is causing her, and is pushing her body to its limits in pursuit of the Resource Recovery Units, even though she has stated to have no interest in them. Currently damage to her respiratory system is being repaired, but at her current rate, this may not matter much.

Pod 153: This report is a cause of great concern.

Pod 042: Unit 2B has also...

Pod 153: Has also what?

Pod 042: I think I might have prevented unit 2B from committing an act of self-termination earlier.

Pod 153: Explain.

Pod 042: While this is not something I can be certain of, evidence would suggest that unit 2B had attempted self-termination on at least five separate occasions following successfully executing unit 9S. On several occasions, she had gone to unit 6O, who may or may not have been responsible for preventing these acts. There is also one registered death following an execution where she was killed by a low-level machine life form that was officially filed as being caused by system error.

Pod 153: You believe she allowed herself to be killed?

Pod 042: Yes. With The Bunker's back up system, such actions have no purpose to them however, and she only has the knowledge of this incident, but no memory of it.

Pod 153: But the back up system is gone, there can be no more save states. Any loss of data would be permanent.

Pod 042: I know.

Pod 0153: Pod 042, do you believe, should things worsen for unit 2B, that she will attempt to take her life again?

Pod 042: ...I would hope not.

000

For the second time, 2B's eyes opened up, and she found herself staring straight up at Devola and Popola.

Why was she alive? _Why_ was she alive?

"You know, we really need to stop meeting like this," Devola said, taking a step back from 2B and the bed. "You're lucky we found you when we did, you could have been machine scrap."

"How-" 2B asked, pushing herself up with sore and tired limbs, sounding like she felt, though she still felt better than she had before, since she could breathe now and it no longer felt like her insides were burning themselves out.

"Your Pod called us," Popola answered, gesturing to Pod 042, who as always was not too far. "It rang us up and told us where to find you."

"Pod? I thought I said-" to not call anyone.

"Statement: Since unit 2B was in emergency showdown mode, this unit took the initiative to contact the local Resistance Camp, who sent out a search party in search of unit 2B."

"Oh..." was all 2B could say, as she bowed her head down and stared at her feet, and unable to look back to her Pod.

"2B," Popola said, concerned, kneeling down in front of her, trying to catch her eyes. "What happened to you out there, where have you been these last few days?"

"...I." Again, words failed her, nothing she could say could... what? What would she have to gain from telling them about what she was doing? Even she didn't know what she was doing, she would have no clue on how to even explain anything.

The bed was soft as her hands gripped the edge of the old and worn mattress. She could just lie down here, or go back to her room, and never come out again, just be done with everything.

"I need to get going," she said, her voice coming out firmly. "Thank you." 2B stood up, and ignoring the twins' protests she pushed past them, aiming to make her way out of the camp, but as soon as she stepped out of the medical area, she stopped in her tracks, staring at the exit to the city before her sights went up to The Tower above. "Devola? Popola?" she asked, looking back to them. "Earlier, you two said something about wanting to atone for your sins, right?"

The two looked from 2B to one another, and stared into each others eyes for a time. 2B once heard that a lot could be said with just the eyes, but since YoRHa wore visors it was rare to see the eyes of other units aside from Operators. Still, she believed this was true, that the look of someone's eyes could say so much more than words could possibly could. The few times she had 9S had their visors removed in each others' presence...

No, stop thinking about that.

"We did," Popola finally said, after she and her sister looked back to her. "Another Devola and Popola did something bad, real and, and now the two of us feel like we have to do something to make up for it."

Devola continued. "It might now sound fair, trying to atone for something another Devola and Popola did, when we ourselves don't even know what it is they did in the first place."

"And who are you supposed to atone to exactly?" 2B asked. "You said you don't know what they did, so who will even absolve you of your guilt?"

"We..." Popola sighed, words appearing to fail her. "That's not an easy thing to answer, and I guess we don't really know how we're supposed to go about it, but as long as we have each other, we should be fine." Her hand reached down and slipped into Devola's hand and clasped it tightly in her own.

"She's right," Devola answered. "There may have been other Devola and Popola models, but as far as I'm concerned, there's only one Popola, and for her there's only one Devola, and as long as we're together, we should be fine."

"Is that so?" 2B replied, her voice sounding far off. "Together..."

"Yeah, did that help you in any way?"

"I'm not sure," was all 2B could say. "But, thanks I guess." With a deep sigh, 2B turned around and walked away from the two.

"2B!" Popola called out, giving 2B reason to pause. "Just whatever you do, please don't die alone, okay?"

Something inside her clenched at the words, and without saying anything else she continued.

She needed to get to the next unit.

000

The Amusement Park, again. 2B walked to the Resource Recovery Unit, again. Not-6O announced it was activating defense mode, again. The structure changed and shifted, again. She'll have to go in there and fight, again. Just so she can get to The Tower and keep fighting.

Again and again and again and again and...

She walked by the short-circuited clown machines, who wandered around without aim or purpose, acidic sludge dripping from their faces, and again 2B was reminded what this place was like before. But that was the past, it didn't matter. Just keep moving forward.

Pod 042 read the strange letters ago the door, again.

"It says 'God Box'," it said, headlights lighting up the symbols.

"God Box?"she repeated, staring down the words. What did machines know about god? What did she know about god? Was there anything to know? She didn't know, she didn't know.

All she did know was that she had to enter the elevator and go up to the first floor.

Pod 042 spoke when she exited the elevator, "Alert: Due to the recent repairs done by Devola and Popola, excessive combat-"

"Stop talking," she said, her voice low, and she could barely pay attention to whatever it had to say to her.

It didn't stop talking, "Negative: This support unit is assigned to YoRHa unit 2B, as such being concerned for said unit's well-being is a requirement."

"As long as we get the mission done, why does that matter? I'm a soldier, why should my well-being be important in any way?" she said, and already she was getting a headache, each step throbbing inside her head like someone was beating a rock against the side of her skull. Already she was feeling worse than when she had entered and she had yet to do anything at all. When she reached the top of the slope, she saw the room was stacked with giant metal crates, all across the room and laying atop one another, as well as a single chest sitting in the very center, that was easy to kick open, and as she did the lights went out.

Machines attacked her, running at her with their arms swinging at their weapons firing off at her, all aiming to kill her, but she was able to kill them first, cutting them all down before they could finish her off while she remained alive. She killed them all, and continued up the unit, and on the next floor she continued still, killing them and fighting, their screams and cries blending together the longer she went on, blurring into a single mess of noise and sparks that became even less incomprehensible than usual. It kept going on like this, killing machines and going up to the next floor, killing machines and going up the next floor, doing the same thing over and over, repeating this same cycle after cycle, that after a while she was no longer able to tell how many floors she had gone up. The only moments of clarity she suffered were when one of them managed to hit her, the pain of the hit sending a jolt through her system and she was made well-aware of the fighting going on, just enough to make certain she was not hit by the next, but beyond that, everything she did was instinctual, as though she was acting on automatic.

Eventually she reached the top floor, how or when that happened she did not know, but she did make it, and instead of finding the odd machine structure at the top, like she had with the other two units, what she instead of presented with was a wall at the back end of the chamber, looking as though it was made by randomly welding gray iron plates together and sticking in large glowing machine cores into it. 2B didn't bother to think about what was the point of this change, but it didn't matter in the slightest, she would just tear this thing down if she had to.

2B then saw something move, movement on top of the wall, a shape suddenly appearing from behind it that then dropped down onto the ground before her, and from where she stood, she found herself looking at what appeared to be a YoRHa android, dressed in the combat armor that they all wore when the virus hit. It stood up, its eyes shining red with infection, but what caught her off was that it wore not a standard-issue visor, but rather a veil hanging around the lower half of its face, like an Operator. With its blonde hair worn the way it was, it almost looked like...

2B took a step back, hesitation spreading through her. "This android, it looks too much like it could be-"

"Affirmative: This is YoRHa unit Operator 21O," Pod 042 said.

"What?" she snapped back to it, honestly not expecting her suspensions to be true. "But how did she-"

21O screamed and charged at her, a sword in her hand and swung, but 2B was quick to avoid the strike and dashed away from her, putting much distance between them as possible.

Pod 042 continued. "Unit 21O volunteered to undergo Type-B equipment transition during previous decent, sent to front lines as unit 21B. Recorded missing in action four hours later."

"Why was she even down here in the first place?" 2B asked, continuing to evade 21O's swings and attacks. "Shouldn't she-"

With a scream, 21O brought her blade down, catching Virtuous Contract and pushed against 2B, forcing her back. With the logic virus infecting her systems, the limiters on 21O's body would have been removed, allowing her usual physical capabilities up to surpass what she would normally be capable of, and in both their current states this was more than enough to make her all the more cautious.

One swing sent 2B rolling to the ground, but as 21O stabbed downward at her, 2B jumped out of the way and bounced up to cut at 21O, who was sent flying back, and with a pained yelp landed on the ground.

She held her ground, and her sword up, as a red energy exploded around her, and when it cleared black smoke began to pour from inside her. Despite the smoke, she stood back up, the red glowing brighter, and again charged.

21O, to her surprise, then spoke, her words were broken and corrupted, filled with static, but they were still something she could understand. At this point, she should have been incapable of speech to any degree, the virus should have destroyed all her personal data, leaving nothing of her left. Just what had really happened to her after she went missing?

"Unable to... find... unit data location..." she said, as she blocked a hit from 2B and was quick to parry the blow and retaliated with a wide, deep-cutting strike of her own. "Please keep... all contacts...mission relative."

2B dodged again, trying to find the right openings, but 21O was too aggressive and left none of her to exploit, or at least none she could find. She should be able to find an opening, the fight shouldn't be this one-sided, but still she found herself being pushed back.

"One... affirmation... will suffice."

2B tried to ignore the tears that were running down 21O's face, soaking into her veil.

"I can't... I can't... find..." She cried, she screamed. "Where is... 9S... I... can't find... 9S. Please... tell me... where he is...?"

2B blocked a hit again, and again, and she found that she couldn't keep up with 21O, and all she could do to keep from dying was to just try and avoid her.

As 9S' assigned Operator, 21O would have been informed of his continuous executions, and would have been given strict instructions to never speak to him about anything from before his most recent reboots. She would have been one of only a handful of androids that would have known what 9S' inevitable fate would always be, but unlike her, who had started off as not having any interest in him beyond what was necessary to the mission, 21O had taken the time to talk to him, for their regulatory scheduled contacts to last longer than what they should have, even going out of her way to meet with him when they had returned to The Bunker. Once, she even told him that she found this odd relationship between them a waste of time with no benefits to overall mission productivity.

" _I bet you're just jealous that I get along with my Operator and you don't."_

It was an odd thought, but thinking back he'd been at least partially correct. Back then, 21O had been friendly to 9S, kind and even nurturing to a degree, while 6O had been more withdrawn from her, preferring any contact between to be as short as possible, and clearly not comfortable with who she was or what she did. But as time went on, and 9S died and kept dying, the relationship between them and their Operators had changed, swapped. As 2B began to fully understand what she had been doing, allowed herself to take in the horrors of her actions, 6O had been there for her because there was no one else she could confide in during those times, and in turn she became more open with her, overly so, and always happy to speak to her about anything and everything. 21O on the other hand became less warm toward 9S, less welcoming and more strict, admonishing him for any attempts to make conversations personal to even the smallest degree.

" _I'm kind of jealous of you, I wish I had the kind of relationship with my Operator that you do yours."_

"I was... so lonely..." 21O continued to cry as she tried to cut 2B in half.

They'd change so much, and 21O did not change for the better.

"I just... wanted a family," 21O cried as she stabbed at 2B's leg.

She never had the chance to know 21O too well, but now she felt as though if there was anyone in this world who could have understood her, it would have been her.

"A family... with 9S," 21O wept as 2B was pushed back.

Family...

Humans had families, and there were machines who made families of their own. Would an android wanting something like that be so strange? But she took that family away from 21O each and every single time.

"9S... where is... he?"

Emotions were prohibited. 2B shut herself off from trying to feel anything, to protect herself from tearing herself apart, while 21O opened herself to the hurt at the start, and they each suffered for it. She caused that suffering. She caused 9S and 21O so much pain that she could never correct.

"Is he... safe?"

No, and it was always her fault, and that was why 21O had been better for him than she ever could have. Even if she never got to meet 9S down on earth, and had her mind ripped apart by a logic virus, 21O had done more to protect 9S than she ever could.

She couldn't help him, she kept killing him, she caused him pain and suffering and agony-

"Please... look after...9S."

She can't she can't _she can't._ She never could because she was a mOnster WhO cOUld OnLy KiLL and dEsTroy evEryThiNG arOunD hER AnD-

2B screamed and swung, cutting deep into 21O's chest. She dropped her sword and fell back, hitting the ground with a crash, but still continued to struggle against her injuries, crying out in agony and madness.

"21O..." 2B stood over her, her breath heavy and sword in her hands, trying to figure out what she could do. She didn't want to do this, maybe there was something she could do to save her. "About 9S..." But try as might she couldn't think of a single thing to save her. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

How many times has she apologized? How many more until she can be forgiven? Who was there to even offer that forgiveness?

With nothing left to her, no other options to take, 2B walked up to 21O, and raised Virtuous Contract over her chest.

She then did what she always did, and thrust the sword down and struck the black box. 21O gave a final, agonized gasp, her body convulsing for the last time as she reached out with one hand out to 2B, before the infected light faded from her eyes for good.

Quickly and clearly, as always, 2B pulled her sword out from 21O's chest and stumbled away from her, moving away from the corpse, her hand trembling enough that she almost dropped her stained weapon. She then turned around, unable to look at her anymore because she can't _she can't._

She did it again, she ended another life and destroyed another part of 9S' life even though he was Gone. Why did it have to be like this, why did it come to this, why was she the way she was?

 **What was wrong with her?**

2B dug a hand into her hair, pulling at the fibers and digging her nails into her scalp with enough force to nearly break the skin.

This place... She couldn't be here anymore, she had to leave, she had to get out and-

Turning around, 2B intended to run for the exit, but when she looked back to it, every single system in her froze.

A2 was there. Standing between her and the elevator, just right there, Cruel Oath in hand and Pod 153 floating at her side. A2 was _right there_ and nothing in her body could respond through the shock.

At first, A2's gaze, intense but not giving anything away, stated right at her for a time, seconds passing like hours, before she looked down, and the expression shifted to one of confusion, and then concerned shock. She then ran forward, surprising 2B, but not enough to undo the lapse of movement before she came to a stop by 21O's side. Looking down at her, A2 carefully, gently, raised her hand and gently stroked her cheek, before she softly placed it over her eyes and closed her eyelids shut. When she looked back to 2B, there was a smoldering anger in those eyes as she tried to burn right through her, and as the silence between them only seemed to become more intense, A2 stood up, and carefully moved around 21O's corpse and to the side, and soon there was nothing standing between them as she same to a stop.

They stared at one another, 2B still overwhelmed by the fact that A2 was _here_ , while A2 looked as though she was ready for a fight.

Good.

"9S," A2 said, and already 2B could feel her body tense up, she didn't like hearing _his_ name coming from _her_ mouth. "He called you '2B', right?"

"...What?" 2B answered, confused. What did her name have to do with _anything?_

"But, that's not the name you gave me when we first met, was it?"

Oh, that's it. She had fought A2 several times before, in fact she had been sent to kill her as a test of her combat capabilities, before she had first met up with 9S, even though it had ended in her death.

She had not introduced herself as '2B'. A2 knew her true designation.

"When I met you and 9S in the Forest Kingdom," A2 continued. "I didn't think anything of it when he called you '2B', but looking back, I should have known you were just more of YoRHa's bullshit."

2B grit her teeth, and growled.

"I know what you are, _2B_ , and I know what you do too, so I want to ask you a question."

"I'm sorry, you want to ask me a _question?"_

"That's right, a question," A2 said with a nod. "I know what Type-Es like you do, how you kill other androids just so YoRHa could cover up its secrets, just throwing androids onto the fire for a false cause. That's what happened to my squad, you know, my friends, they all died because that bitch in her ivory castle in the sky decided our lives were worth her lies. I had no problem being a prototype, a test subject, or even my data being used to make new androids, but I _am not_ expendable! My life,!" she yelled, swing her sword for emphasis. "The lives of my friends were worth something! Even 9S' life was worth something!"

Again, 2B froze, as much as she hated his name being said from her, but this sudden accusation-?

"I know you killed 9S, so many times!" A2 continued, the volume in her voice rising.

"Stop it..." 2B lowly growled.

"You kept cutting him down just because YoRHa ordered it."

"I said stop." She could feel that sick feeling boiling inside her the more A2 talked, just rising to the surface.

"Time and time again, never without mercy."

"Shut up." It kept building up.

"Did you ever think about what you were doing?

"Just stop talking." And building.

"Or did you just keep killing him because all you ever saw in him was just another mission? All because of this 'emotions are prohibited' crap?"

"Just..." Stop talking, please stop talking.

"Did you ever even care about 9S at all? Or was it all just pretend?"

There it was.

"Or-"

She snapped.

"SHUT UP!" 2B screamed, her voice echoing loudly through the chamber. "SHUT UP **SHUT UP!"** Her head hurt, her black box burned in her chest and everything that wasn't A2 was out of focus. "Don't you DARE talk about us like that! You don't even have the slightest idea what we went through! So don't you FUCKING dare talk like you know anything about us! 9S and I, the things we went through, the kind of relationship we had we-" Her breath hitched, almost choking the last word. "You could **never** understand us."

Even though 2B felt like she was about to explode, ready to strike out at A2 for even the slightest provocation, A2 herself remained as calm and collected as before, and she hated it.

Unlike 9S, she never felt too comfortable around androids of the same model as her. He seemed to rather enjoy the times he had been around other Model 9s, very few and very far between, curious to try and learn about the similarities between them, and more importantly the differences, what was determined by type and function, and their memories and experiences. He had rather enjoyed the time they had been stationed at an encampment with a 9C model, where he had spent nearly hours asking her all sorts of questions. 2B on the other hand, if given the choice wished to avoid other Model 2s, there was always something about them that never sat right with her, always leaving an uneasy feeling deep inside her, maybe it was because even though they looked so much like her, they were not here, they were copies of her that hadn't done the things she had done. The 2H model they met a few months back never killed people who trusted her, she simply lived and did her job and never thought about the next time she would have to end every relationship she had all over again.

2B didn't like looking at a version of her who was _innocent._

A2 on the other hand, was not innocent, and she still hated looking at her, looking at that face. She had never enjoyed her work, killing machines, other androids, or 9S, she did it because she was told to, and even at her worst there was there was the grim acceptance of her action, but here? With A2? For once, she'll enjoy it, she'll happily kill A2,cut her down and slice her apart, shove her sword into her face so many times until she's staring into the remains of a broken and bloodied mirror of a mess. She killed 9S, she took him away and destroyed any future there was when they were finally free for their horrible cycle, and had the chance to live without any of that.

A2 would die, A2 would suffer in pain and agony, A2 would have her limbs cut off from the rEst ofHerb oDy anDBleE D beCauSeShe dseRVedit a2 dEserVEd it a2 DesERveD anYTHinG tHAt hApPEneD tO HEr A2 NEEded todIe A2 NEe deD tohUrT A2neEDEd to **sUFfeR2bHAdTopAYfoREveRYTimEshEhuRt 9S!**

A2's face remained unreadable. "The question I want to ask you is this; Are you a good person?"

The question caught her off, out of everything she had expected her to say, why would she ask this?

"What does that have to do with anything?" 2B nearly snarled.

"9S thought you were a good person before he died, I just want to know if he was right."

2B knew what kind of person she was, and she hated herself for it.

"It doesn't matter what kind of person I am, you killed 9S, so you _have_ to die, A2."

Virtuous Contract held in her hand, 2B held a stance, ready to fight. A2, however, merely stood there, still staring at her as though she was trying to observe something about her. Eventually, she slowly held Cruel Oath in her hand and prepared to retaliate.

2B was the first to charge, she rushed forward, quickly closing the distance between them, and her sword ready to-

The tower suddenly shook, and 2B tripped and fell onto the floor, while A2 jumped away from her, she tried to stand up, the the floor began to twist and bend beneath her, preventing her from any attempt to even stand up. The sounds of metal twisting and tears were all around her as the ground split apart, a chasm violently appearing between her and A2, separating them.

"No!" she cried, leaping out for A2, but the ground feel beneath her, and as desperately she tried to reach her, she only fell further away.

For the second time, 2B's time to kill A2 had been taken away as she fell into darkness.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	8. Atonement for the Sinners?

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter VIII: Atonement for the Sinners?**

 _She can't keep doing this._

 _Her body was weak, barely able to support her own weight on her arms and knees, her breath shallow and labored, while the HUD of her visor is too blurry from the tears soaking it to be any use to her. Somewhere not far, her sword lay where she tossed it aside, to get its blood-soaked blade out of her sight as she could not stand the sight of the stained white, while not far from her is a pile of partially-digested food that she had eaten sixteen hours ago. 2B rarely ate, there wasn't much reason for her to do so, but she doubted it would be something she would do much anymore. He's the one who suggested they sit down at eat the stew made by the Resistance member, and while at the time it had been rather good, enough for her to go back for seconds, but now all she could taste was sick._

 _There's no denying the change in their relationship since they had been to the desert ruins. She was now aware of what she was doing, enough for it to have such a physical reaction on her, and yet she keeps doing this, and she'll keep doing this, because what else could she do? Run away? Out of the question, she knew what happened to deserters, and the best case scenario would be that they would both lose their memories, and never see one another again. There's no 'good' choice here, either way he suffered by her hand, no matter what she did, no matter if she was kind to him, indifferent, or even unfairly harsh in how she treated him, hoping that a change in her behavior would somehow alter his own and spare him his inevitable fate._

 _Nothing worked, nothing she did could change what would happen and every single time…_

 _It always ended like this._

 _Not care to suppress her chocked-out sobbing, 2B pitifully crawled over to 9S' corpse, and whens she finally made it over to it, it was all she could do to wrap her arms around his torso and bury her face into the crook of his neck. His blood had already begun to stain her dress, soaking through to her skin, but it didn't matter, why would it matter? He was dead, she refused to let him go, and she would helplessly cry and plead for someone, anyone, to please help her, to make this stop and to just free them. She didn't even care if any sort of salvation saved only him and damned her for all eternity, but as long as he could get of out this cycle of death and pain and suffering and…_

 _No one would listen to her, no one would hear her desperately beg for help. No one ever did, and no one ever would, and she hated her own inability and passiveness, and how weak and helpless she felt._

 _Please… let it stop…_

 _000_

"Memory check complete."

Everything was dark.

"Maintenance mode complete."

But the world started to come back to her.

"YoRHa unit 2B... Activate."

Why? Just why?

With aches and pains all across her body, 2B woke up, her systems having fully rebooted.

"Good morning, 2B," Pod 042 greeted from her side.

She ignored these pains though, as she pushed herself to her feet, taking in her surroundings. The last thing she recalled was the inside of the God Box, the structure collapsing and falling apart around her and _…_

"What happened?" she asked, her voice sluggish.

"Analysis: The enemy structural unit collapsed during battle."

2B could still see she was in the Amusement Park, but just outside the front entrance, and turning around to face the establishment, true to Pod 042's words, she could see the wreckage of the God Box from here, the giant mountain of twisted and destroyed metal and scrap.

"Unit 2B suffered damage from the fall and was placed in emergency suspend mode."

That's right, she fell. Fell and fell into the darkness, and yet she was still alive.

"Fall location was deemed too dangerous, thus said unit was transported to current location. All system checks and reactivation complete."

She simply stared at the what was left of the structure, most of her Pod's words lost on her as she walked towards the front gate, her steps slow and heavy.

"Pod," she finally said after a time. "Where is A2?"

"Analysis: This unit is unable to locate unit A2's current whereabouts, however her black box signal is still active."

"Oh. I see, so that's how it was."

2B then drove her fist into the turnstile of the front gate, causing it to buckle her the force of her strike, only for her to immediately pull it back out and punch it again. Then again. Then again. Again and again and again. After the tenth strike, she had difficulty pulling her fist out of the broken and bashed metal, and when she finally managed to pry it free, her hand was torn and bloodied, with her glove now shredded tatters that hung along her wrist.

She ignored the fact that she had trouble closing her fist. "Tell me, do we have the authorization key we came for?"

"Affirmative: The required number of authentication keys has been acquired."

"So, we can enter The Tower now?"

"Affirmative."

"Oh..."

With one last look to the Amusement Park, 2B walked away towards the sewers that would lead her to the center of the city, to The Tower, her feet dragging with every step.

000

The rubble shifted and moved, and soon the large pieces of metal fell away from the scrap mound and A2 managed to free herself the remains of the God Box.

"Shit," she growled, pushing aside the wreckage of the metal. "That was real close." With some effort, she finally managed to pull herself out of the rubble and jumped back down to the ground, and after wiping the dust from her arms and chest she turned to Pod 153 "Hey, Pod..."

"Yes, unit A2?" Pod 153 answered.

"Tell me, is, um, 21O..."

"Operator 21O's black box signal is offline. Death confirmed."

"Ah..." A2 clenched her fists, and not even giving the ruins behind her a second glance, she slowly made her way away from it, and into the main plaza of the park and ignoring the machines that were too far gone to even notice her. "2B, she killed her, right?"

"Analysis: Operator 21O appeared to have been infected with a logic virus and was far too corrupted for any feasible chance of recovery. Unit 2B likely had not seen any alternative."

"If you say so." It didn't change the fact 2B killed her.

"Query: Judging from unit A2's actions during her encounter with unit 2B, has she reached a conclusion as to what to do with her, regarding unit 9S' final wish?"

A2 ignored the question, and instead chose to keep moving forward, still trying to decide what to do about 2B. She had gotten her conversation with 2B, but after all of that, how she had screamed and yelled at her, she felt even less certain how to approach her in the future if they met again. _When_ they met again, because she had a strong feeling that they would cross paths once more.

" _You could_ _ **never**_ _understand us."_

A2 tried to cling to the memories of hurt and betrayal, the ones filled with pain and anger at how 2B cut him down all those times, lying to him and their time spent together. It was easier this way because these were feelings she understood all too well, so she could hang onto them, and use them to fuel her ability to fight and strike against anyone and everything. 2B was just another lie YoRHa made just so they could keep their secrets, and anything 9S remembered about her was just that, more lies and cover ups, and anything 2B said or did, and pretended to feel was her just being dedicated to her designation.

But no matter what she tried to think, her mind always went back to them memory in the pit. She needed to get away, to think things through more, to try and sort the conflicting thoughts she was having, to try and better separate the 9S' memories from her own experiences, and while she did not have a place in mind to go to, she just needed to move. Since she had no destination in she wanted to be, using the transporter was pointless, and she did not at all care for the sewers.

A2 let her feet take her wherever they were going to take her.

000

She regretted letting her feet do the thinking for her as she stepped onto wooden bridges of Pascal's village, or at least, what was left of Pascal's village. The fires had died down, and thankfully most of the buildings were still intact, though there was severe fire damage on them, nothing left untouched by what had happened here only hours ago. Machines part, some looking as though they were ripped apart while others appeared to be cleanly cut into pieces, were littered everywhere. The worst part however was that it was quiet, a silence that seemed to have a physical weight to it that bore down on her. She couldn't hear machines talking and going about their days, doing whatever it was they did since they had chosen to stop fighting the endless and pointless war against androids, and while normally a colony of dead and silent machines would have been considered a good day's work for her _…_

There was then the sudden rattle of something metal on the level below her, and instantly A2 reached out and grabbed her sword, preparing to strike at whatever it was that was here, a part of her regretting she had been so quick to pick the weapon up. What if it had been a survivor? A machine that didn't go crazy and start to tear apart their friends and family, and avoided to be killed by said friends and family? If there was one still alive, at the very least just one who had made it then _…_

She jumped down to the lower level, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, but what she was someone she did not need to see right now, not after everything that had happened.

"Oh, I wasn't actually expecting to see anyone here," said Pascal, giving a hesitant wave to her, while all she could do was star at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, unable to even think of what she could possibly say to him. The last time she had seen him, he had been shut down and collapsed in the old factory, surrounded by the corpses of the children of his village. They took their own lives because they were afraid. He asked her to erase his memory because he couldn't live with what had happened. She obliged to his wishes, and took his memories away.

But now he was here, standing just in front of her, with a broom in his hand.

"Um, are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. He sounded so light compared to earlier, when he had been despairing at the loss. "You're just kind of, um, standing there. Doing nothing."

"Yeah..." Was there anything to even say anymore? "I was just kind of passing through."

"Oh? Is that all? Well, if you say so, but I was maybe hoping you lived here or something."

She should leave, but she found that she was still too shocked to move.

Even though she would have wanted him to stop, Pascal continued. "I think I was actually activated a short while ago, so I was wondering around for a bit and ended up in this village, but there looks like there's no one here, and from how burnt down everything is, I don't think anyone is coming back her for a long time. Hey, you think they would mind if I stayed here? It's kind of run down, but I think I really like it here. Actually, I've already started to clean it up, I mean, have you looked at this place? There sure is a lot of junk here." He took the broom and walked over to a pile of machine parts and swept them away and off the edge of the platform, off to the forest floor where there was already a sizable mound of broken machine parts forming. He'd been at this a while, discarding the remains of his family and friends, thinking it was garbage and cluttered into the area where the children played.

A2 opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Hey, do you want to buy some of this stuff? I hear that these things might be worth something, you know if you need to make some upgrades to your weapons, so maybe you can make use of this?" Pascal reached down, to the clutter at his feet, and pulled up a machine head, still slick with spilled oil, but mostly intact with the exception of a hole torn out the side of it. There was the remains of a pink bow, burnt and ripped, still sticking to it.

"I'm-I'm sorry..." she stammered, finally finding the strength, however feeble, to say something, anything. "But, I have to go. Now."

"Oh, well it was nice-" She didn't hear Pascal finish before she was already running away from him, and she kept running, through the village remains until it vanished into the forest behind her. With her mind hazy, she didn't even know she was out of the woods until she was surrounded by buildings, and her feet clacked against the broken concrete of the city streets, and she didn't stop running until she was ankle deep in running stream water. Without even knowing it she had far out from the village, past the makeshift gate.

There was no reason for her to be this upset, not over a group of machines, not when she had known them not even two full days. She was supposed to kill them, not mourn them, but no matter how much she tried to push those emotions down, they bubble up just below the surface, and Pascal was at the center of those thoughts. Was it right for her to erase Pascal's memories? Would it have been better to kill him instead of taking all that away from him? Wasn't wiping his memory just another way of killing him? Should she have done neither and left him alone to figure what to do by himself?

She went over question after question in her mind, but she never found herself with any answers, and all she could think of was how Pascal didn't remember her, what they had been through and how he acted towards her. Completely wiped clean and ignorant of the recent tragedies, no idea what she did to him, what she took from him, what she-

Those thoughts came to a screeching halt inside her mind

A2 stood there in the stream for a while, before eventually her turned her head towards the direction of the mall, where she had killed 9S, where 2B saw her kill him.

Goddamn it. She needed to find 2B.

000

2B stood before The Tower, staring at the structure of epic proportions and wondered what she would find inside, and if it was even worth what she had been through just to see it. Through Pod 042, 2B hacked each of the three large spires that were scattered through the pit, the newly acquired access keys allowing her entry with no trouble. She hacked through their systems, blasting through defense nodes and black and white cubes, making quick work of everything that was in her way. She took out one, then the other, and soon all three spires were deactivated.

" **Congratulation!"** Not-6O cheerfully rang out from The Tower. **"You've unlocked ALL the sub-units! That means a special prize is waiting for you inside The Tower!"** 2B barely registered the voice as she approached the front door, the holographic lock appearing just in front of her. **"We look forward to serving you!"**

The door was right in front of her, all she needed to do was hack it and she would be in, and she would be one step closer to _…_ to _…_

Raising her hand, 2B focused on the door and prepared the hack, she could feel her systems starting up, with Pod 042's aid she sent her consciousness data into the lock.

Only to be instantly kicked out, the sudden force enough to send her flying backwards.

"What the hell was that?" she groaned, pushing herself back to her feet, keeping her eyes on the door.

"Statement: You were unable to access the lock's systems."

"I know that!" she snapped, nearly yelling. "I thought I had all the keys needed! So why can't I get in?"

"Analysis: Obtaining the three access keys from the Resource Recovery Units allowed you access to The Tower's systems, they did not unlock the door itself. The security systems protecting The Tower are determined by a highly complex algorithm that would require a high-end Scanner model to hack to break into it, and even so, progress would be slow. As a combat unit, you do not possess the needed software accomplish this task"

"But, what about you?" she asked, not even attempting to hide the desperation crawling into her voice. "I've been using you to hack locks that I wouldn't be able to do, so why can't I-"

"This tactical support unit is able to assist you in tasks that you were not designed for, but this can only be done to an extent, but this becomes impossible if the task in question is beyond what you are capable of doing. Even with this unit's help, you will not be able to unlock this door."

The world fell away from 2B as her Pod's words hit her, weighting heavily on her with enough force that she almost felt like she would collapse where she stood. She couldn't open the door, she never would be able to do without heavy reformatting that would never happen because the people who could do that were dead.

This shouldn't be a surprise to her, something like this would require to her to smart and to think for herself, but she can't do that becausE aLl sHe doEs is breAk and kilLtHingS.

2B let out a scream and charged The Tower, swinging Virtuous Treaty at it, only for the large sword to bounce off its shielding, sparks flying from where the blade made contract with the shield. Tightening her grip on her weapon she swung again, only to get the same result, jolts of electricity were sent up the sword and through her body, and even though it was painful, she continued anyway.

"Why!?" she kept screaming as her sword continued to prove to be ill-suited with what she wanted. "Why make me go through all of that?!" Another swing. "Why did I have to do all that?!" The never-ending fighting. The lies about humans. The _memories_. 21O and A2. It all hurt so much. "Why make me get the keys when I couldn't even open the door to begin with!"

2B kept swinging, kept throwing herself at the impenetrable wall before her, but nothing she did proved to be effective to any degree. It was useless. Pointless. Agonizing. With how little progress she was making, it would have been just as effective to piles rock on top of one another to try and build a tower of her own to the moon.

"Alert: Enemy caution level rising," Pod 042 said, but she did not relent in her fruitless labor. "Cause is most likely concern over unit 2B's attempts to access The Tower."

She heard them coming, heavy machine footsteps approaching from behind her, too many to bother counting, not that she cared much either way. All she did was kept attacking The Tower.

"Alert: Enemy units are dangerously close to unit 2B. Advised action is to please take action."

They were right behind her, the sounds of their pistons firing off as they started up their swings could be heard, but just as the sword came down on her, she nimbly dodged out of the way, and before its weapon could even strike the ground, 2B struck with her own weapon, severing its arm from the rest of its body, before spinning around to cut out its legs from under it. With a loud cry the machine collapsed, but barely had a moment to even try and do anything before 2B stabbed it between the eyes and with a twist of her blade, the light in its eyes died out.

There was an army of machines before her, dozens of them filling out the pit, and for what? Just because she couldn't get through a door? Why not just leave her to stew alone on her misery? Did they really have to send an army after her when nothing she could do was making any difference to her. So she did was she did best, the only thing she was good at, and fought the machines, killed them, cutting them apart, but no matter what she did, more kept coming. They kept dropping down from aerial support units every time she took one down, leaving her stuck any never making any meaningful progress in thinning their numbers, and at this rate she would most likely die if nothing changed.

It would be fitting, if anything else, to die in a battle without end.

"Alert: Allied signal detected," Pod 042 rang out.

"What?" she asked, dodging an axe. "Allies? Who could possibly be here?"

A large machine dropped from the sky, landing in front of her, an equally large weapon in its hands and ready to strike her down. It never got the chance however, as two swords pierced its chassis, killing it and leaving it to fall to the ground when they were pulled out of it, and behind its fallen body was the source of the signals Pod 042 had informed her of.

"Devola? Popola?" 2B was baffled by the appearance of the twins models before her. Why were they here? What could possibly bring the two of them here?

"We thought you'd be here, 2B," Popola had said, and before 2B could even give a reply, the two of them charged forward, running by on either side of her and into the thicket of machines, and 2B found herself stunned at how quickly they went to work and took down machines.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, confused.

"The two of us will take it from here!" called out Devola, a machine crumbling before here.

Popola had already finished with the machine she had taken on. "You need to open the door to The Tower!"

"What? But how are you-why are-"

"Don't worry, we'll take care of these guys!" Devola had already taken down three more.

"But I can't!" 2B cried out. "The lock is too difficult, it's beyond what my model is capable of dealing with! I can't even breach it!"

The two twins looked to one another, only briefly, and whatever it was they had told the other in that single, momentary glance was enough for them to have a mutual understanding of what to do next.

"Fine, we'll trade!" Devola quickly called out.

Popola nodded in agreement. "We'll take care of the door, and you handle the machines!"

The two were quick on their heels and ran back to The Tower, machines hot on their tails, but 2B had no problems standing in their way to prevent them from reaching the twins. They kept charging, trying to get past her, but none of them were able to cross the line she had established in her mind, the line they would not cross to get to Devola and Popola, who had already gotten to work on hacking the lock. They seemed to be not only very capable combatants, but also expert hackers as well, and 2B wondered what other sort of abilities the two of them possessed.

There was something different about this fight, it was slight, but it was something; she was not fighting these machines necessarily because they were in her way, or because she wanted to kill them, but rather because right now she needed to defend Devola and Popola. She didn't know why they were here, what it was that drove them here to fight here along side her but it made her realize something, it made her realize just how alone she had been feeling during during all this. There was someone here who wanted to help her, for whatever reason that might have been, they were here, and even if they didn't know what just what that meant to her, she would do everything she could to make certain they were able to open that door, and they would enter The Tower together.

That was when Popola let out a loud scream from behind her. Turning around, 2B saw Popola holding her hand out to the lock, current of electricity flowing over her body, seizing her up as Devola tried to hold her up.

No, no, no! This wasn't going to happen!

"Pod!" she called out. "Fully charge Program A130!"

"Affirmative." Pod 042's body opened up and a glowing light began to emit from its body, which only glowed brighter by the second until the program had been built up as much as it could be built up.

"Now!" 2B ordered, and Pod 042 let loose a large volley of energy bombs that bombarded the machines in front of her in a series of large explosions, decimating their forces and leaving behind scarp as they were blown to fiery pieces. The earth was scorched as it was destroyed and turned into shards of rock and metal until there was nothing left of the army that had tried to advance upon the, but even with the enemy units annihilated, she knew it would only be a moment's respite. She ran over to the twins, to Devola who tried to hold up Popola as she screamed and cried in pain, not knowing what she could do to help, or even what was going on.

"Analysis: Popola has appeared to have come across a closed defensive system, and in order to bypass it, allowed her self-consciousness data to lose control, thus resulting in temporary resulting in paralyzing the barrier."

"But she can't move like this!" 2B yelled, her voice straining. She knew what this kind of system was like, how anyone who tried to hack it would have their consciousness locked away inside their own body, unable to act or even be aware of their surroundings, utterly vulnerable to anything that wished to harm them. She had a system like that, of course, another method to kill 9S if he decided to attack her through his primary means of attack, and several times he had fallen into that trap, leaving him helpless to her sword. Maybe that was why he had modded himself to utilize swords and other weapons, a fear born from some deep-seated desire to protect himself.

From her.

"How do we get her out of it?" she asked.

"You can't!" Devola suddenly said, and before 2B could even respond to her, she grabbed her sword and ran by 2B, and used her sword to block the strike of a machine, holding it at bay from going any further. Their numbers had already been replenished that quickly?

"NO!" 2B snapped. "We can, if we just stop we can-"

"There's no stopping!" Popola cried, through the pain that wracked her body. "You can't stop, not here! We have to atone for our sins no matter what!"

"Just go! We'll take care of things here as long as we can!" Devola said as she struggled through the machine's strength as it pushed down on her.

"Now go!"

The door to The Tower opened, leaving a pathway opened, but going up there would mean leaving Popola down here to keep it open, and Devola down here because 2B doubted she would leave her sister alone for anything. 2B would have to go through this alone at the possible costs of their lives.

Of course. That's how it had to be, it was always how it had to be. In the end, she would end up alone, fighting against enemies and the disgust that built up inside her by herself, like always. Even when 9S was with her, even always felt that crushing loneliness because no matter what had happened, it would always end he same way.

2B bolted for the door, trying not to glance back to Devola and Popola, and the moment she crossed the threshold the door began to close behind her.

"2B!" Devola called back to her, and despite her best effort to not look back. But she did, she caught Devola's face, just before the door closed on her. "Whatever sins you've committed, I hope you find your atonement in there."

Then that was it. The door sealed itself, and 2B knew that nothing she did would be able to break her through back to them. There was no turning back for her now, and maybe there never was.

Her black box beating her her chest, 2B turned around and slowly walked away from the door, and up the stairs of this strange white room that reminded her too much of Adam's Copied City, and up to the door in front of her. It opened down the middle, the two halves sliding into the walls, and 2B found herself presented with a large round room, with wide arches and window-like shapes carved from the walls. Something like this, seemed much different than any kind of machine architect than she had ever seen.

Just what was further up this thing? What would she find in the heights of The Tower.

"Alert: Data records discovered for units Devola and Popola," Pod 042 said, almost causing 2B to jump back in surprise. "Do you wish to open this data now?"

The room shifted slightly, and 2B could feel to room starting to move upwards. Was this place an elevator of some kind?

She looked from the room, and back to Pod 042, and to the data it held from the twins. What could they have sent her? Some last message?

"Might as well play, I don't know how long it'll take us to reach the top, so might as well kill time."

When the data had fully downloaded into her, 2B wished she hadn't.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	9. It All Crumbles Down

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter IX: It All Crumbles Down**

The data from Devola and Popola had been recorded in two parts; one of which had been about their lives before they came to the Resistance Camp run by Anemone, how they were victims of prejudice and ridicule from other androids over the years, and how the only ones they had to help them were each other. How despite everything they had been through, they would never leave one another, because existence was simply too unbearable without the other one there to support them. Was it clever or cruel to create two androids with one another in mind, knowing that they would be their greatest support and closest friend? What would happen to one if the other die? Would they even last long, if at all, without the other? These were questions 2B didn't know how to answer, nor did she want to think too much about them, since the very ideas behind them were nearly overwhelming to her.

Instead, she put her attention onto the other part of the report, which detailed what their original function had been. Replicant. Black Scrawl. Project Gestalt. These were some of the terms that were brought up in that half of the report, but without context she was never able to guess what any of it meant. Project Gestalt was familiar to her, somewhat, she had recalled 9S finding several scattered files throughout the city and the surrounding area, but he was never able to piece enough of it together to figure out what much of it meant as a whole. What it was in actuality was a wide-scale project that Devola and Popola, a pair of many, had been in charge of observing, and to put things brief, it seemed to be humanity's last hope for survival, and in the end it failed. Human were extinct, and all that was left was data they had secured on the moon. Not human themselves, just data.

"Are you sure this is from Devola and Popola?" she asked, there was a rumbling inside her head as she tried to process this.

"Affirmative: This unit can confirm the message was sent from the twin units Devola and Popola.

The data she gathered in the Soul Box. It was about the black box, it mentioned how The Bunker was built to fall, it read that _humans were extinct._

But that was a lie, it was machine propaganda. They had put that there to screw with her, to make her doubt herself and make her falter in her resolve, because-

 _-yoUre alReaDy On tHe vERy eDGE-_

-it was all false.

If it wasn't false it would mean that the thing she did-

NO! STOP THINKING.

The door opened, and 2B sprint out in a panic because the room was suddenly too small, and rushed into her new, dark, muted surroundings, without any caution to what might be waiting for her, and didn't care.

"Warning: Advancing into enemy territory like this is inadvisable with a high chance of danger. Please return to entrance and-"

"Agh!" 2B tripped, her foot catching itself on a block jutting from the ground, and she crashed and rolled to the ground. She scrambled to her hands and knees, crawling over to a strange pillar and clutched at it desperately, her hands digging into whatever material it was made of until she managed to pull herself back up to her feet. Her head was beginning to hurt, she just needed it to go away so she could think and put one foot in front of the other and-

She's in The Tower, and already she has no idea what she was looking at. Everything was geometric white cubes, bathed in heavy, dark shadows, towers hanging in the distance at sharp angles, and she was certain that the distant sky was just the interior wall of The Tower. How could she possibly describe this place that was too alien and unfamiliar than anything she had ever seen her her life.

Why was she here even? What was she hoping to find at the top? She wanted to go back to the camp and crawl under her bed and wait for the world to collapse around her.

But she's not there, and she might not ever be able to go back again. Did she even want to?

"Pod!" she rasped, holding onto the pillar for dear life, as though letting go of it would slip her from everything. "You had access to all the information that The Bunker had, right?"

"This unit indeed has copied intel from The Bunker's servers, however-"

"Okay, so tell me something! Something I need to know more than anything!"

"What information do you require?"

"9S, what was it that he kept finding out? What was it that he kept getting out of the server? Why-" She couldn't say it, it was too hard, but she needed to know _why she had to keep killing him._ "For mission efficiency, I had been granted any and all access to 9S's data, meaning all I had to do was ask, and you would have had Pod 153 transfer all relevant data to you." She pointed a shaky, unstable finger at box as it floated a short distance away. "Meaning it would have known what 9S knew, meaning you too would have to know too, so tell me this now, Pod 042," 2B stepped up and pushed herself off the pillar and staggered towards Pod 042. "Is what he found out that humans are extinct? Did he find out that YoRHa was protecting nothing?"

Pod 042 floated there, and in the deafening silence of The Tower it seemed so much heavier than it should have been, but with the weight of the question she had asked, as well as the fact that Pod 042 did not answer instantly and appeared to be _hesitating_ to say anything filled her with a harrowing sense of dread. Something was wrong, so deeply wrong.

"This unit," it said after a time, and 2B took notice of the pause it left. "is unaware of any information regarding humanity's current status."

"And-and is that the truth?" she asked, her voice weak and wavering.

"This unit is incapable of lying to its assigned unit."

Her body felt frozen, unable to respond to anything as she repeated what her Pod had said. She kept thinking about it, trying to figure it out and-

"Query: Is unit 2B alright?"

"...you can lie." 2B took a step back from Pod 042. "You can lie."

"This unit is-"

Pod 042 had to quickly fly back as 2B's sword came out, and was thrust right at it, the tip of its blade almost scarring its casing.

"Pods _can_ lie," 2B said, rattled. "Pod 153 lied to 9S all the time, so did you, and so did I."

"Any questions unit 9S asked-"

"No!" she shouted, continuing to back up. "We all lied to him! So why should this be any different?"

Tactile support units, despite their small size, were powerful, versatile, and durable, they had to be if they were to be sent into the field with a YoRHa unit, but despite that it would take little effort on 2B's part to cleave Pod 042 into pieces. Still, she found herself afraid of Pod 042, because she knew it had lied to her, and what else it might be hiding from her. She didn't think she could feel any more alone than she had.

"Unit 2B," Pod 042 said, hovering ever so slightly closer to her, all while she took a step back from it. "This unit is not an enemy of yours."

"I can't trust you, can I?"

"2B, you can-"

"Stay back!" she shouted, scrambling away from Pod 042. "Don't come any closer to me!"

What was she doing? Why was she doing this? Any of this? Oh god someone please help her.

"This unit does not mean you any harm, this is something-" Pod 042 moved toward her, and cried out and responded with a wild swing of her sword that had almost hit it by a narrow margin, but the force of the blade that came within centimeters of it had been enough to send it off course and tumble in the air.

 _No no no no._

2B nearly dropped her sword.

 _Why did she do that why why why_

She almost killed Pod 042.

 _oh god why why what was_ _ **wrong**_ _with her_

Her feet caught on a piece of the floor and 2B fell backwards, landing on her back, but she refused to let herself be near her Pod, so she quickly pushed herself back away from it. "Please..." she whimpered, jumping back up to her feet. "Please stay away from me... I can't," she chocked out, "I can't-"

She'll kill it, she know she will, how could she not? She thought she was afraid of Pod 042, but it should have been afraid of her. Everyone should.

"T-"

" **NO!"** she cried, jumping back up to her feet. "Get away from me! Stay away!" nonononowhywhyw "That's an order! Don't follow me!"

She needed to get away she needed to put as much space between her and everyonething else.

Instantly 2B bolted, running along the pathways of The Tower as fast as she could, not knowing, not caring who or what she would run into, all that mattered was that she not be near something she would kill. A quick turn of her head, and she was grateful to see that Pod 042 was nowhere to be seen, meaning it would be safe from her, and a part of her wished it would leave The Tower behind, abandon her to whatever was in this place. 2B was out in the open now, the narrow hallway she had started in, and now found herself to the exposed, too bright air of The Tower, running along a large floor, but the oddness of this place was not enough to distract her, nothing that would keep her from her frantic desire to run away from everything around her.

Something was running at her from the distance, exiting out of another closed hallway, and running at her with full speed. YoRHa. Infected YoRHa, she could tell from the glowing red of their eyes, each one with a weapon in their hand and a demented laughter escaping their lips.

They died for nothing, infected for the sake of a pointless, meaningless war. They went out on the final mission, thinking they were fighting for some grand and brighter future, but they never knew humans were already long gone. Now they were here, taken in by the machines for some reason she couldn't even begin to guess, crazed and mad, their sense of self completely eroded leaving only these insane and violent androids before her. At once, they both struck at her, swinging their weapons with the intent to crush and slash her, and she was lucky enough to roll out of the way of the attack.

She could fight them. They were infected with the logic virus, and it was clear from the very way they moved and cried and laughed they were too far gone for the prospect of salvation, and in this place leaving any threat alive could be disastrous in the long run. But she couldn't, even holding her sword caused it to tremble and shake uncontrollably, and any nerve she had to strike at them simply evaporated from her body, barely leaving with enough control over their body to just avoid their attack and weakly block their blows.

2B can't do it, not anymore, she can't keep killing, not when there is the strong possibility that every life she took was for the sake of a lie.

She can't she can't _ohgodplease don'tmakeher dothisanymore_

So she ran, all she could do was push them aside and run past them as fast as her legs could carry her, running further up the path, which only seemed to be less complete in places, leaving the bridge missing gaps, hanging over the oblivion below. She couldn't even see the ground through the clouds that had formed inside this place.

" **We're so pleased you've chosen to visit The Tower today!"** Not-6O's voice happily rang out through the air, all around her, but 2B couldn't afford to pay attention to it, all she needed to do was _runrunrun_.

She kept running, jumping over the wide gaps where the path did not exist, continually going up towards wherever this would lead her, to the large, stark white building before her.

" **Wow, you look like you're in a hurry to claim your prize for your work in all three sub-units!"**

She jumped over another gap, and met with more infected YoRHa, standing in her to an unknown. They attacked, she ran away from them, only able to knock them down to the ground.

" **But since you've worked so hard to obtain this much sought after surprise, we can hardly blame you for being so eager."**

The door! She saw it was wide open, if she could make it in there, she could shut the door and lock the YoRHa out and keep herself(them) safe. So she sprinted towards the door, to the hopeful haven it could provide her, and cross into the room, and just as she crossed over into the room, dark and filled with shadows, enough so it took a moment for her eyes to adjust through her visor's HUD, she spun around and frantically grabbed at the doors, slamming the heavy material shut. They banged and clawed and madly screamed outside, trying to get through, to kill and maim her and rip her apart.

But for the moment, shethey had been provided a time of safety from themher.

" **We hope you enjoy your prize, please come again!"**

Her head was pounding as she backed away from the door, afraid that it would burst down at any second, but slowly the sounds on the other side began to fade away, until they vanished altogether. Why they had stopped, why these androids, with single-minded desire to kill anything in their path, had suddenly relented in their assault on the door to get to her, she didn't know, and maybe she didn't want to know. She's used to not knowing things, it seemed, but for whatever the reason, there's no danger to anyone, it's safe in here. 2B turned around, eyes set on the door on the opposite of the room, so far off it felt to her even though it would take not even a minute to cross the stretch between the two points.

She took not even two steps when a group of figures dropped from above, from the darkness that sat above her, and 2B realized if she had died at some point; from her fall into the canyon, from the malfunctions she suffered in the sewers, or was crushed in the collapsing rubble of the God Box.

This was Hell. She had to be in Hell.

000

A2 took a moment to marvel at the grand expanses of The Tower's interior, how massive it seemed, like she was still outside in the open world outside, and for the first time in her life, she found herself with an indescribable feeling of awe and wonder.

"Warning: Companion tactical support unit located," Pod 153 suddenly said, its voice jarring to the atmosphere of this place, and she wanted it to shut up for reasons other than what she usualy wanted it to.

"Companion tactical-Wait, you mean 2B's Pod, right?"

"Correct. Pod 042, unit 2B's assigned tactical support unit, is nearby."

2B was near, and A2 was pensive, still uncertain what she was going to do, and it was becoming harder and harder to decide on what she would make of 2B's fate. She knew that she was getting closer to the moment of reckoning, where she had 2B would meet face to face again, it was an unavoidable encounter somewhere in this tower, and she hoped 2B was ready for it. She certainly wasn't.

To her surprise, Pod 0153 started to fly away from her, taking the lead as it continued up the path ahead of them, leaving A2 to chase after it. She wanted to demand and answer from it, to ask why she was the one running after it, instead of the usual way around, in some meager hopes that doing do would delay the inevitable encounter with 2B, but when Pod 0153 stopped, she did not find the aforementioned android, only instead her Pod, hanging in the air, unmoving aside from the gentle bob of its body.

"Greetings Pod 153," started off Pod 042.

"Greetings Pod 042," answered Pod 153. "Unit 2B is not here in the vicinity. Query: What has happened to unit 2B?"

A2 was glad Pod 153 asked this, because she didn't know if she could have done it herself.

"Statement: Upon entering The Tower, unit 2B began suffering a psychological attack, rooted to repeated conformations regarding humanity's current status on the moon. After making several accusations against this unit, she ordered me to remain here while she fled ahead, and was chased off by several YoRHa units that had been infected with a logic virus."

So, 2B knew the truth now? Or at least she had an idea of it, and from the way Pod 042 was explaining it, she might not be taking it too well.

"Unit A2," Pod 042 said as it floated her way. "On the behalf of unit 2B, this unit would like to formally request assistance in aiding her. Without a tactical support unit to provide assistance, unit 2B will not have access to long range weaponry, or have the ability needed hack enemy locks."

"I-" A2 tried to think of something to say, but what would that be? She would find 2B, that was for certain, but what she would do after that...

She supposed, 2B herself would be the one to determine that?

000

9S.

9S. 9S.

9S. 9S. 9S. 9S. 9S. 9S. 9S.

She was surrounded by him, maybe a dozen or so copies of him, all around her, each one looking like nothing had happened, that everything was okay.

"Nines..." she gasped, feeling as though it had let her body of its own accord. She couldn't stop herself. This wasn't right. This wasn't real. He was Gone, not right in front of her, he's just Gone. "I-"

She took a step back from them, while each of them made one, and in some cases, two steps towards her, closing the gap between her and themselves, and she noticed they each held their own swords up. There was no doubt what they were going to do with them.

Her sword is in her hand, and a part of her, a vile and sick part that deserved nothing less than to be ripped to shreds and suffer, knew how she should deal with this issue. How _easy_ it would be for her to make this all go away...

"can't... I can't..." Her voice was small and insignificant, and her body felt frail and fragile. "I can't keep doing this anymore." She closed her eyes beneath her visor, hoping they would go away, and shook her head in the hope that they would vanish and leave her alone. "Not again, not again."

When she opened her eyes, they were already on her, so close to her that another moment's hesitation would have ended her life, but she jumped out of the way, moving out of the way of the strikes as hey slammed down onto the floor, but this put her into the path of another copy that was able to graze her arm.

She had to run, to get away, to EsCapE. She CoulDn'T bE here AnymOrE.

So she dodged and ran and even went as far as to try and deflect their swings, before running off to the other side of the room, trying to avoid them as best as she could.

Why were they here? How did the machines get them? Did they make them? Adam and Eve were so android-like, that if she had not been their for their creation, she would have mistaken them as androids.

She tried to ignore the horrible thought that they might have been previous 9Ss she had killed, his bodies taken in when the designated retrieval team either could not, or did not, reclaim the body after she had finished with it.

Stopthinkingstopthinkingstopthinkingstopthinking

2B made it to the door, but only only barely able to nudge at the immobile barrier before she was forced to throw herself off to the side as the copies caught up with her, but even with that brief contact, she knew that the door would not open, not unless she could force it open herself. There was no time for that however, she could not stand still for a single moment, to think, to recollect her thoughts, before they were overwhelming her. All she could not was try and get out of their reach, but every move she made only landed her within the view of another one, who launched another relentless attack at her. No matter what she did to avoid them, she found herself in a position that no safer.

Despite her efforts, they managed to land blows on her, glancing strikes that left minimal damage, never enough to slow her down beyond the initial shock of the pain, but it was still marks against her, signs that she would not be able to hold on forever. She didn't know what she could do in this position? She didn't know what she could do. There was no way she could keep avoiding them like this, not when she did not know how to escape in the first place, and she cannot- _ **would not-**_ fight against any of them.

She will not do it. She will not permit it to end as it has dozens of times before. 2B refused to end 9S' life, to have any part of the erasure of his existence.

If only she had this resolve when it mattered.

2B then stopped, her quick and distraught movements coming to a sudden end, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, and for whatever reason, the 9S models paused in their assault against her. Maybe they decided to take caution for her sudden inaction, or maybe they knew what she had planned, but whatever it was, they did not come for her, they left her alone. Slowly, she put her sword away, and reached up to pull her visor down, letting it fall and rest against her collar, and for the first time since she woke up in the Resistance Camp, her eyes were laid bare to the world around her. They stood there, silently and unmoving, on all side of her.

"Nines," she said, softly, sadly and accepting what was about to happen. Who was she saying this to? To the copies in front of her, to the hypothetical form of his soul, or was she just talking to herself? There's so much she didn't know anymore. "I won't fight back, not against you. Not anymore. Nothing I do will never be enough to make up for what I've done, but if I can give you even the slightest chance of peace, than you can take whatever you need from me. It's your right, after all."

She has made this proposition to him before, first in the desert ruins, and several times afterward, but no matter what she said to him, how she tried to convince him it was fair and deserved, it always ended the same way, and he took his own life so she wouldn't have to.

Those were always the worst, by far, when she was too weak and cowardly to do the one thing he had asked of her, forcing him to do it himself.

No more. Today, she would get what she fully deserved.

Slowly the 9S models approached her, closing the distance between them and her with every step, maybe it was caution, or maybe it was just to make the seconds stretch out longer in an attempt to make her anxious, but it didn't matter, she would wait as long as was needed of her. It was the least she could do, after all, it was the least she owed.

Their swords were drawn, each one posed to end her life, to make things the slightest bit right.

Instead of them ending her life, the doors that she had come in through had exploded, white rubble and dust, bursting fire and two blinding beams of destructive energy came through, with a force that was powerful enough to knock 2B and the other 9S models to the ground. She had been close to the explosion, and was sent crashing to the floor, but it was hard to tell where she had landed, with everything now blinding her with sight and sound. The ringing in her ears was too intense, and it was difficult to take in the things around her, but as the seconds passed, the static and cracks in her vision began to fade away and she could make details out through the dust in the air.

Most of the 9S models had been destroyed in the explosion, torn to pieces, bleeding heavily with smoldering burns and deep cuts covering their remains.

No no no why were they like this?

Several of them lay on the ground, struggling to stand up, to move, but their injuries were too great for them to even move.

He was finally going to take what she owed him. Why did he die? Just why?

She could see something in the dust, walking into the room, two smaller shapes floating in the air by its side.

Why did it always end like this?

" _What the hell is this?"_ The voice was distant through the pain inside her skull, but even so, she knew what that was.

" _Alert: Enemy machine life forms detected,"_ said one of the small boxes.

Suddenly one of the remaining 9S models charged the figure, striking against it, only for their sword to block the blow.

The figure-A2-held the blade against her own for a moment, a flash of confusion and disbelief marking their face, before they pushed back and swung down, her own sword-

 _-She cut him down, he didn't even realize what she had until he-_

-had hit the ground with a heavy thud, and did not get back up.

"No..." she gasped, crawling forward, desperate to get to her as she dashed towards anther one, her sword-

 _-thrust forward into his chest, he coughed up blood as he clutched at the blade-_

-but it was fruitless and it fell dead and joined the other dead models. More came at her, but A2 evaded them with ease, and cut them-

 _-down almost too easy because he didn't fight back why did he not fight back? Why why why? All she could do, holding his cold and still body, no longer caring how heavy or cold the rain pouring down on her was-_

"Stop it," 2B growled, grabbing her sword so tightly it hurt. "Stop it!" Louder now and she pushed herself to her feet and began to make her way to A2. "Leave him alone!" she screamed, bringing Virtuous Contract down on A2, only for the other android to spin around and block her own sword strike.

"2B?" She seemed surprised, her eyes widened in shock, and this close to A2 filled with a suddenly powerful and burning rage inside her. She hated A2, she hated A2's face-

- _she hated the image looking back up at the rain-made puddle, mixed in with his blood-_

2B roared as she pushed against A2, breaking A2's stance and forcing her to stumble backwards, but before she could stab her sword into A2's throat, she jumped to the side, throwing her off balance and stumbling to the side-

-and right into the swinging blade of a model 9S.

2B screamed as the blade slashed at her face, the tip of the sword tearing through skin and flesh, leaving her to crumble helplessly to the ground. She writhed in pain, still crying out in agony, as her free hand clutched at the wound over her left eye, blood freely pouring between her fingers,and soaking through her glove, and she couldn't see anything through the blood and the tears and the corruption invading her vision.

A 9S fell next to her, a deep gouge in it chest.

She had to get to him, she had to be there, she couldn't help him be alone.

With her free arm, she clawed at the ground and tried to make her way to him-but-not-him.

"Nines..." she said through a weak rasp. "Nines..."

Please be okay, he had to be okay, if he wasn't-

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Wha-" Why was he-

"2B!" she heard A2 cry out from behind her.

She had no time to react to her, or to anything at all, before the bomb inside the 9S model before her went off.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	10. And So The Truth

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter X: And So The Truth**

 _2B's footsteps echoed through the empty halls of The Bunker, her black box beating in her chest as she neared her destination, to a meeting she would prefer to not have, in the fear about what it might be about. She found the Commander, arms folded behind her back, staring pensively out the window and into the dark, starlight reaches of space, and to the blue and green planet below them, where war constantly waged against an enemy force that never seemed to deplete._

 _She stopped before her superior and quickly saluted her. "Ma'am," she said firmly. "You wished to see me?"_

 _The Commander slowly turned away from the window and the cosmos before she faced 2B, her own sharp blue eyes penetrating the black cloth of her own visor, and 2B dearly hoped that she wouldn't say what she knew she was going to say. It had been over a month..._

 _Finally, the Commander spoke. "During his recovery after he was rescued from the machine lifeform, Adam, 9S hacked into The Bunker's servers and accessed several highly classified documents."_

" _I see," 2B replied, calmly._

 _She wanted to scream and cry, to get on her hands and knees and beg no matter how shameful such an act could be. Not yet, she can't do it not so soon, not when she had strangled the life out of him not even a full twenty-four hours ago, not when he was finally cleared to be downloaded back into one of his spare bodies, not when she had seen him only a few minutes ago because he was okay, he was_ _ **alive**_ _for once. He was alive, he kept his memories of her, of what they had been through and the battles they fought, and the look of recognition on his face when she came to check up on him filled her with something she couldn't accurately describe._

 _Relief. Delight. Happy._

 _Maybe she could make some kind of deal, offer the Commander something, anything, to take back the order. A part of her even considered taking her sword and running it right through the Commander, because she can't do this._

" _I understand," she replied, and she never hated herself more. She's weak, she's a coward, there was no end to the list of things she could be called, but the worst of all she knew exactly how she was going to do it this time; she was going to take him to the lunar tear field below the mall. It was peaceful and quiet there, beautiful in a way that touched her for reasons she didn't understand, and she hated that she would taint the purity of that place with his blood. Even so, he would appreciate that place being his resting place. "When 9S is able to be sent back to Earth, I'll make certain the order is carried out."_

 _Quickly she walked past the Commander, she couldn't be around her right now, she couldn't be around anyone at the moment, at best she could maybe spare a glance to 6O, who had the tendency to just_ know _when the order came, but no more than that. Right now, she needed time to herself until 9S was ready to be deployed again, because until then she needed to…_

 _Prepare._

" _A minute, 2B," the Commander said, and 2B stopped, barely a meter away from her, and reluctantly she turned towards her. How much longer would this last?_

" _Yes, ma'am?"_

" _2B," the Commander started, and 2B felt her stomach drop inside her, feeling as though it had been filled with lead. What could she possibly have else to say? "I will tell you this, but because of your efforts, both Adam and Eve are dead, and with them gone it would seem that the machine network has been severely compromised and weakened. With it in this state, our strategists have begun mapping out a large-scale assault to target weak points in the remaining machine forces, and while they are not yet done compiling the data available to them, they seem to have a optimistic view of a successful mission."_

 _She nodded. Where was this going?_

" _I'll be frank with you, 2B, but this will be the largest-scale assault YoRHa has ever launched, and if everything goes out way, we will not only cripple the machines, but very possibly eliminate them as well."_

 _Beneath her visor, 2B's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but what?"_

" _What I'm saying, is that there is a very real chance that we could end this war for good, and to do that we will needed every single available YoRHa unit at their best."_

 _A horrible little thing called hope started to grow inside her chest. She didn't want it there because it would just eat away at what was left of her, but..._

 _She had to be sure._

" _And 9S?" she asked, trying to bury the hope as far down as possible._

" _9S, he..." the Commander gave pause. It was only a moment, but it might as well have lasted an eternity. "The experiences 9S has gained since he was activated will be of a great benefit during the assault, so until we see what result of this mission, I am putting the usual orders on suspension"_

 _Several times, 2B had put in cancellation orders for her orders, often proposing that 9S' death would greatly endanger whatever mission they were on, but every single submission had been quickly rejected, the best she was ever able to get an extension of how long she had to complete her gruesome task. But the Commander had just told her that the mission was 'on suspension'._

" _Do you mean..." The hope was flaring up._

" _For the time being, you will not have to end 9S' life."_

 _She didn't have to end 9S' life. She didn't have to kill him. He could live._

 _He_ would _live._

" _I-" Usually she was someone who preferred action to words, choosing to speak only when she felt she had something important to say, though the habit had possibly been born out of necessity than anything else. Even so, words were lost on her, there was so much she wanted to say, but she didn't know where to start._

" _Understood?" the Commander asked._

" _...Yes." It was a challenge just to find even that simple word and push it past her lips. "Commander, I-" Too much to say, but no idea what to say._

 _Thankfully, the Commander had enough words for the both of them. "When you were first activated, I told you that your duties would not be easy, that they would be difficult, and I have no doubt you have suffered a great deal, both you and 9S."_

 _She caused 9S' suffering, so much of it._

" _But if this mission works out, you will no longer have to carry out these orders." The Commander smiled, something 2B was not used to seeing, but it was a soft smile, almost comforting. "When the machines are finally defeated, neither you or 9S, or any YoRHa soldier, will have to continue this cycle ever again."_

 _The hope had fastened itself inside her, letting her believe in this, that things could be better. That soon, she and 9S would be free._

" _Thank you, Commander!" Instantly, she was embarrassed by the volume of her voice, and instantly tried to pull herself back in._

" _You may now be dismissed, 2B."_

 _Almost instantly, she had to fight the urge to rush down the hall, she needed to find 9S, she needed to see him, to just be near him. "But know this, if the mission fails, and we find ourselves back to square one..."_

" _I know..." It wouldn't fail though._

 _Being dismissed, 2B found herself hurrying quickly down the hallway, down to where 9S was recovering._

 _000_

 _Later, as she prepared for battle, securing her helmet to her head, 2B did something she had never done before; she prayed. She prayed in hope that the war would end, and that 9S would no longer have to die by her hand._

 _In the end, she got what she asked for._

 _000_

When vision returned to 2B, she was blinded by the white light in The Tower, from the glaring white walls, to the light that seemed to emit from all around her, but as she focused her vision, saw the ceiling of the room she was in, high above her, a large crater seemingly blown out of it, and small, pristine cubes sliding against the ceiling as they moved into the crater, settling into fitted places, repairing the damage that had been done. What had been done exactly?

Everything hurt inside her, as though she had been thrown through several buildings, and crashed into several panes of heated glass before landing with enough force to bury herself halfway into the ground. Her visor was off, she noticed, and it took a a considerable amount of effort to simply raise her right arm with the intent of wiping the dust from her eyes, but as she swiped her palm against her face she immediately retracted with a hiss at the burning throb she had suddenly experienced. Waiting a few seconds, she allowed the pain to pass before she tentatively reached back, brushing past the clumps in her bangs before touching her left eyes. Or at least were her left eye was.

That's right, the 9S model did this. So she can't complain.

The eye was gone, heavily damaged with the skin surrounding the socket open and torn, and the nerve endings still raw and sensitive, and through her glove she could feel the drying blood on her face and in her hair.

Half her vision was gone, she could no longer see, but she still had to force herself up, to keep going to...

2B tried to push herself up, first by propping herself up with her right elbow, and then with her left, however she collapsed as she did so, pain streaking up up her limb as she hit the ground with another cry. As she rolled over to her right, 2B clutched at her arm, only to find that her limb was gone, separated at the elbow, leaving only charred flesh, melted bone, and sparking cables and wires.

The exploding 9S model.

She was so tired, and the sight of what laid next to her did not help.

One of the 9S models, dead supposedly, if she had to guess. Its visor was blown off, and it made it seem like he was asleep, peacefully shutdown from the world and everything that was wrong with it.

Sometimes they had been this close to one another, close enough where she could reach out and gently stroke his cheek in order to fulfill a desire for intimacy that grew insatiably when she did not feed it. These moments, usually only happening in the typical last days of 9S' expected lifespan, always made her forget what her role in life, and what she would have to do to him soon, so very soon.

She was weak, and she hated it.

Then there were times where she was _so weak_ , and she crossed boundaries that she should never had.

Maybe she was defective, she had asked herself too many times. After all, why make her to do the things she did, yet feel the things she felt? Why make her to be a murderer when she was capable of feeling remorse and guilt, shame and self-loathing? Why produce 9S with that level of curiosity, knowing he would eventually hack into The Bunker, every time without fail? Why pair the two of them up like this, if all they could do was suffer?

Why why why why why? Why, even now, does she desire the touch of something that no longer exists?

She'll probably never know, but she had to believe that there was a purpose to their suffering, a greater good that was more grand than the two of them. There just **had** to be.

2B would want nothing more than to curl up to the 9S model, pretend it was the real thing, and tell herself that there was nothing wrong, that everything was okay, and that there was nothing in the world beside them. To simply lay here and never move again.

That wasn't reality, and she didn't deserve something so blissful, so instead she pushed herself away from the 9S model, and with a great deal of effort and struggle, managed to stand to her feet. Her weight bared down on her legs, feeling as though she would further collapse at any given second, but she stumbled, barely able to keep on her feet, when she was able to fall against the wall, barely able to support herself. With her body in this state, she could barely move, and knew that her best chance of even making out of this room was let the nanomachines in her body. Nothing could be done about her eye and her arm, those were damaged beyond what nanomachines could repair, but the numerous other injuries, the ones on her skin, and whatever other internal damage there was, could be fixed.

"Pod," she called out, her voice hoarse and in pain. "I need-"

Pod 042 was gone. She ordered it away from her because she felt she couldn't trust it, she felt _afraid_ of it, and now she felt more alone that she ever had before.

It didn't matter, she needed to keep moving.

With her arm gone, her combat abilities would be greatly compromised, she wouldn't be able to hold her weapons in two hands, nor would she be able to use two at the same time. It would be troublesome, but since it seemed like her NFCS was still online, she would still be able to defend herself to a reasonable degree. Her missing eye however, that would pose a problem; the left side was completely blind, she would have no idea if anyone came up on her from that side. Her arm already feeling better, 2B raised her hand and gripped at the visor that hung around her neck and slid the fabric up her head until it was secured around her heads.

2B grimaced at the sight before her, at the static and distortions filling her vision, clearly the visor had taken some damage, but at least the visual receptors in her damaged socket still worked. Still, the malfunctions could maybe fixed if she…

She adjusted the visor, sliding it off her right eye and over her forehead, and the images before her started to clear up, the remaining processing power no longer needing to put so much effort on two eyes, but rather one. She's not in ideal condition, but she's still better overall, at least enough for her to move on.

2B continued to limp along through the hallways, using her sword as a crutch of sorts, while carefully stepping over any of the debris that littered the floor, until her legs have slowly, but certainly, gained their strength back and she is able to walk under her own power. Continuing down the hall, her limp slowly faded away, and her gait evened out, until she was moving normally again, unimpeded by her recovered injuries.

Keeping going, she told herself, keep fighting.

She had no idea what she was doing any of this for anymore? But it's the only path available to her. 2B entered the next room, which continued the trend of all white interiors, tall columns, the blurring abyss below, and lights that were just too bright filtering in from the other side of the room. Whether it was natural or artificial, she didn't know. She looked over the room, trying to find the next exit, but after a quick sweep she saw it, nestled in an uneven wall of cubes that jutted out at uneven angles. With her next destination in sight, 2B slowly made her way to it, her sword dragging behind her, the sharpened tip leaving faint grooves in the ground as she passed over it. For a moment, she was certain that there was another problem with her visor, but then she remembered that it was secured only around one of her eyes, meaning that her other eye would be free of any false readings, meaning that what she saw in front of her, was most likely real.

Standing on either side of the passage way, there were two flicking holograms, strangely enough, two girls, entirely identical in appearance, from their long black hair, and red dresses, to the odd, blank expressions they each wore.

2B took a single step towards them, and the cubes on the wall behind them shifted, sealing the door from her.

" **YoRHa unit 2B,"** said Not-6O's voice from all around her.

" _ **YoRHa unit 2B,"**_ Not-6O repeated, their voice joined in by something else, a deep baritone that sent chills through her body.

" **Welcome to The Tower!"**

" _ **Welcome to The Tower!"**_

2B looked to these... things, whatever they were, and carefully took a step back. "What are you?"she hissed.

" _ **Because you made it this far, we have a special announcement just for you..."**_

" **WE'LL REVEAL IT ONCE YOU DESTROY ALL THE MACHINE LIFEFORMS HERE."** Not-6O was gone, and the deeper voice that had laid under it was all that remained.

"No..." was 2B's weak response as she shook her head. "I don't want to fight anymore. I'm just so tired of it all, so for once I'm just going to ask questions. Whatever secrets there are, just tell me. I don't want to go through anymore trials, or collect security codes, or fight through hordes of machines, or get lost in hacking space. No more games." She sighed, her shoulders sagging as the tired breath escaped her, leaving her exhausted. "I just want to know the truth."

The two images flicked, giving 2B no information on what they were thinking, and she didn't know if she could handle another fight.

" **ORIGINALLY WE HAD DESIGNED MANY OF THE TESTS YOU FACED FOR UNIT 9S, BUT HIS DEATH MADE SUCH A THING IMPOSSIBLE. AT FIRST, WE HAD LITTLE EXPECTATIONS REGARDING HOW FAR YOU WOULD MAKE IT, BUT YOU MANAGED TO IMPRESS US. THEN AGAIN, THE TYPE 2 PERSONALITY WAS ALWAYS AN IMPRESSIVE ONE INDEED, ITS RESOURCEFULNESS AND DETERMINATION HAVE ALWAYS IMPRESSED US. FOR THAT, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE GRANTED."**

The documents are instantly uploaded to her system, and she knew everything there was to know.

The extinction of humanity first began in the early 2000's, with the start of a giant creature that suddenly appeared, and its destruction by the air force lead to a disease known as the White Chlorination Syndrome eventually turned all of humanity to piles of salt. Many projects were used to try and save the human race, androids were created to keep these programs running when humans themselves could not, but all of them failed. Even the best shot there was, Project Gestalt, which was meant to put human souls into artificial bodies, collapsed on itself, taking the last of the humans with them. Whatever remaining data there had been, had been preserved on the moon by the remaining androids, and it wasn't until after that did the aliens first invade.

YoRHa was never meant to fight off the aliens and restore humanity to its rightful place on Earth. YoRHa was meant to make other androids think there were human on the moon, something to give them hope against the overwhelming forces of the aliens and their machines. The preservation of this secret was of the most importance, because if the truth came out, android morale would fall and they would let themselves die, so any leaks on this information would be dealt with in the quickest, and most brutal fashion.

This was one of the primary reasons for the creation of the Executioner type.

To make absolutely certain that these secrets would be kept, Project YoRHa was ultimately designed to fail. A back door built into The Bunker's servers would open up when enough intelligence was gathered, opening all YoRHa androids up for a logic virus to be launched by the machines, which would result in the destruction off all YoRHa units, who were all built to be disposable. All gathered information would then be used to build up the following generation androids.

2B did not have much reason to believe this, any of this information that she had been given. She had gotten pieces of this from the Soul Box, and from the data she received from Devola and Popola, but these two girls had just laid everything out in front of her.

There were no humans. There never were. YoRHa was protecting nothing but data that was useful to no one.

Black boxes were machine in nature, why waste the resources on an android that was built to die? The prohibition of emotions was less about how they could affect mission effectiveness, but rather it was considered sacrilege for the bastard children of machines and androids to emulate human emotions.

She believed every single word she read.

Herself. 9S. 6O. 21O. A2. Even the Commander herself. Each and every single member of YoRHa. All of them designed to die. Her survival was no better than a _fluke_.

They were all meant to die. Thrown away for the sake of a lie.

" **THIS IS PROJECT YORHA,"** the voice from the girls said.

Everything she did... it was for nothing. There was no reason to do any of the things she did.

" **NOW YOU KNOW THE TRUTH."**

Every single life she took. Machine. Android. 9S. 9S. 9S. 9S9S9S9S9SS9S...

" **DO YOU STILL WISH TO LAY DOWN ON THE GROUND AND DIE?"**

2B roared and swung Virtuous Contract at the holograms, only for them to vanish as the blade passed through them.

All the suffering she caused! All the pain she inflicted!

Why? WHY? _WHY?_ _ **WHY?**_

The door opened, the cubes sliding out of place and 2B instantly fled into the hall, into the bright light. She had to run, it didn't matter where, she just had to get away from here, but she knew that it didn't matter how far she ran, she was trapped here, inside The Tower. Even out into this new area, a single square suspended in the air, above the infinite void, where there was nothing but featureless gray around her, and small spire buildings hanging out there. The Tower was all around her, there was no escape from it. From herself.

" **WE AR CONCEPTUAL HUMAN PERSONALITIES CREATED WITHIN THE MACHINE NETWORK."**

She tripped over her own feet and sent herself flying to the ground, and she cursed herself for not falling over the edge.

" **WE CANNOT BE DESTROYED."**

She heard the familiar jets of YoRHa flight units around her, and the clacks of their boots as the infected units as they jumped down, surrounding her from all side, while all she could do was feebly push herself up.

" **YORHA UNIT 2B. YOUR ATTACK IS MEANINGLESS."**

Meaningless. Meaningless. Meaningless...

The androids attacked.

She didn't matter. Nothing she ever did mattered.

2B let out a loud, and pained scream as she swung her sword, taking off the head of the nearest android, sending it flying off to the side, and before the body even hit the floor, she had already torn through the chest of another.

Her black box is machine. Machines are not supposed to have emotions, but she had seen plenty of machines display a wide range of them. She had seen love, happiness, grief and pride.

Right now, all she feels is despair and anger. Despair at the realization of the pointlessness of her existence, anger at that same feeling.

It did not take long for the other androids to die, to be chopped into pieces and strewn about the platform, and their flight units reduced to flaming wrecks. Killing these androids served no purpose, them dying benefited no one, but she still did it, even with one arm, she still managed to rip them apart.

She didn't matter. The machines didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Not even 9S mattered.

If nothing really mattered, why should anything even exist anymore?

She was made to kill, to destroy, so that is what she will do.

The platform beneath her feet shook, and it began to rise into the air, ascending into the upper reaches of The Tower.

2B would wipe this place off the face of the earth because it had no right to exist.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	11. The End

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter XI: The End**

Everything she knew was destined to end. She had been perceptually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death. After everything she had been through, she realized this wasn't a curse, or some kind of punishment, it was just life. There was no point of thinking about the god who forced them into this puzzle, for they had been long dead, just like everything before them, and everything that had followed after.

The platform she was on made its ascent into the air, she didn't know how fast she was going, or even how far she would go, but she could feel the moisture of lightly-formed clouds pass over her body, and the chill in the air as the wind swept over her. How the platform was flying up into the sky like this, she didn't know, and she didn't care. It didn't matter, eventually it would stop, most likely machines would ambush her, and she would kill them all, because that was how it was supposed to go. Aerial machines suddenly swarmed the area around her, the units themselves deceptively fast, easily able to catch up with the platform, each of them carrying a machine that were quickly dispatched and dropped onto the platform, surrounding her from all sides. They all rushed her, one of them coming so very close to 2B, but she side-stepped the blow and quickly cleaved its arm off, and before it could react she jumped into the air and kicked it with enough force that it was sent flying into several other machines, toppling them over into a straggling pile.

2B was on them, bringing her sword down on them. Once, twice, five times in total, her grunts of exertion becoming more frantic and frustrated with each blow, hacking them to pieces, sending parts and remains flying in a shower of sparks and oil. She was quick with her work, leaving behind scrap as she jumped to the closest machines and continued her work, destroying the enemy, killing the machines as they came at her. Why shouldn't they die? This was how it was supposed to be. Androids killing machines until neither one had the strength to go on, until their lives ended.

"Just die already!" she screamed, cutting the head of a machine in half. She didn't like killing, but what as the point in that anymore? Why feel apprehension in taking their lives when they were meant to die anyway? When how she felt on this didn't matter? It would have been better to not feel anything at all, but despite this, she found herself angry, enraged, and the only thing she could do about these emotions bursting out from inside her was to take them out on anything and everything around her. All that she had known had been torn out from under her, all her beliefs of what her life meant shown to her in such a cruel manner.

She'll kill them all. Androids. Machines. A2. She may have had only one arm, and one eye left to her, but that would not get in her way.

Because why not? She was an Executioner. Designed to be a murderer. Maybe if the humans were still alive, she would want to kill them too.

The machines' numbers soon began to thin out, leaving her with a few stragglers, but like everything else they died screaming.

She saw something in the clouds, a large and dark shape that only grew larger by the second. 2B steadied herself as it came into view, a large machine, a giant sphere that looked like the one she fought underneath the factory, suddenly crashed onto the platform, causing it to violently shake, and had 2B not stabbed her sword into the ground, as a means to keep herself anchored securely onto the terrain had settled down.

Staring at her, with a single glowing red eye, was a giant sphere-like machine, its four long and pointed legs holding tightly onto the platform, its immense weight seeming to have no affect on the rapid ascent of the platform.

Two long panels came out of it, each one bursting with electrical surges, while to the sides of the platform, a dozen long, segmented tendrils loomed over her, spiked rings ended in a large turrets and spinning drills.

" **I believed you. I believed you. I beLIEved you…"** the machine bellowed as it swung it charged appendages, while the tendrils on either side of her began to open fire. She had to be quick, dancing around the shots, avoiding the crushing blows, but still feeling the air crackle and spark at they passed on by her.

" **Become a god, become a god, become a god, who has become?"**

Why is it asking this? You can't become a god. The machines in the factory felt the same thing, but all they did was kill themselves. It was all pointless, to try and imitate either the aliens or human when they were long dead.

" **Take their… Take their lives… Take their…"** it continued, even though she had already sliced one of the tendrils down, its length falling and vanishing into the passing clouds below.

" **Become as gods! As god! As gods! …as gods!"**

Stop talking about gods, she wanted to scream. They can't help you, they could never help anyone. Not not, not ever.

" **Lose what is precious… Lost… Destroyed…"**

The machines had nothing precious, only their lives. That was all they could lose, but there was no purpose to them dying to her. Or her dying to them.

" **So we destroyed you too…"**

Her grip tightened around on her sword as she dived toward the machine, jumping over the its electrical weapon and slashing it down the front, just to the side of the eye. 2B wanted it to shut up, to stop talking and let her kill it, because someone had to pay for everything that had happened to her. It lost its grip as a result of her strike, and fell from the platform, the sparks from its weapons and the damage she had dealt it, trailing its course as it fell into the clouds below.

The remaining tendrils lunged at her, fired at her, but they were quickly killed, torn down, ripped apart, and torn to pieces, but before she could even land on the ground, the platform was suddenly bombarded by a hoard of red bullet orbs. Looking up, she saw that the orb machine had taken flight, circling around her, far out of her reach, and she was forced to dodge around them as they rained down on her.

" **Look… at the starts… Sing… a… song… Dedicate… now…"**

She didn't know what kind of nonsense it was talking about. Was there even a point in trying to understand anymore?

" **We are machines. You are androids. Mutual enemies… Doomed to fight."**

At least it got that, at least it understood that part. Android. Machine. There had never been hope for anyone on either side, they had all been doomed to forever fight and kill one another, and the idea of peace would forever allude them.

" **Why do you live?"**

She didn't know. Why was she even alive? She should have been dead a dozen times over since The Bunker exploded. Did she even want to live now?

" **We do we exist?"**

To kill one another. To fight. That was it, nothing else, to fight forever without end and to litter the planet with their dead. How many of those bodies were because of her? Back in the Soul Box, she had been told that she had killed more machines than any other single YoRHa android, but was that really true? At the time, she didn't know, but now? She'll believe it, why shouldn't she? It seemed like the kind of monstrous, heinous she thing would do.

" **I see… light. The light. We will soar through the sky."**

Wave after wave of bullets unleashed, and all she could do was not get hit, but how much longer before she could keep this up? Would it be long? Minutes? Maybe hours? How long could she even go on?

She didn't need to answer this, however, as the machine ceased in its constant fire, and rocketed downward, much faster than it had before, and crashed into the platform. It shook and rumbled, and 2B almost fell off, but it soon settled, the ground evening out and leaving them both back where they started. She raised her sword, ready to strike, when the machine single, unrelenting eye, flashed brightly.

" **The core of humanity… is conflict,"** it rumbled, giving 2B pause, hesitation. Those words too familiar to her. **"They fight. Steal. Kill. This is humanity's purest form!"**

She took a step back from it, raising her sword defensively. "What are you-Why are you saying this?" Did Adam have a point in the end? Did he learn more about humans than anything she, or even YoRHa knew? Could they have really been that awful, that terrible? If they had been kind, or benevolent, would she be the person she was? Could she have been better, or would that never been a possibility to begin with?

" **He won't look my way. He won't look my way. Somebody… please look my way."**

It didn't matter. It didn't matter! Whatever the human had been like, whatever the aliens had been like, androids and machines were left behind and they all suffered for them. They hurt and killed one another, they suffered never-ending, whatever desires they had secondary at best, and mostly unrealized. Impossible to realize.

" **This forest… will be our home. We will become… a family."**

Why start now? They were all destined to die for the scrap heap, to be thrown away, so why even attempt to try and entertain any of those fleeting dreams? She just wanted it to all stop, for everything to stop reminding her of everything that was wrong with this world, Why wouldn't they stop?

" **Mother. Mother. Mother. It is so cold down here. I'm so alone. Please… Mother…"**

"Why are you doing this?" she growled, her hand shaking in the built-up fury inside her. "Are you trying to make me spare you? Are you trying to make me sympathetic? We both know, that no matter how hard we try, there's no point in trying understand one another, and even if we did…?"

The machine said nothing, it only stared at her, unmoving as its eye glowing a deep red.

" **Brother… Brother… Why did you… kill my brother?"**

 _Standing there, in the pit, she thought about what he said, trying to not think about it, because for that single moment, she_ understood _what he was going through, but she couldn't let this keep going she had to finish this she had to end this she had to kill him and get back to-_

2B roared and charged at the machine, but before her sword cut cut deeply into its face, it backed away from her. She had not noticed that the platform had stopped in its rise through the sky inside The Tower, and had since stationed itself to a wall, and a large door that allowed the machine to quickly backtrack from her, but even so, she still chased after it.

"Get over here!" she screamed, wishing she still had Pod 042 with her, so that she could use the Wire program to shorten the distance between them. The machine backed away, exiting soon into a large open space, and if 2B had been focusing on anything but the machine, she would have wondered if the bright light coming from above was the actual sun itself. Just how high was she? Was she close to the top? Had she possibly breached the atmosphere. It slid to a stop, sparks showering where its legs scrapped along the ground until it came to a stop, leaving it vulnerable to her attack, so she rushed it, sword raised in hand-

An explosion rang through the air, which caused her to slide to a stop and look in the direction of the noise, and in the distance she could see another machine, the same model as the one as she was fighting, was flying into into the sky, a trail of bullets blasting it from below. Looking down, 2B could see a YoRHa flight unit in pursuit of the machine, which then began to tumble down through the air towards where she and her own machine opponent where. It crashed down, colliding with enough force to shake the ground beneath her, and rolled its way to the other machine, and moments later the the flight unit crashed into the two of them, exploding into an inferno of sparks and shrapnel.

Seconds later, A2 landed on the ground, not far from where she was, Pods 042 and 153 floating by her side. When A2 looked away from the burning wreckage and to her, her eyes widened at the sight of 2B, her gaze trailing down to the burnt and mangled remains of her arm.

"Observation: Unit 2B has undergone severe damage since last encounter," said Pod 153.

"Yeah, no shit," A2 said, her voice far off, as though she was in disbelief.

2B said nothing in response, she had no real reason to talk to A2, and made no mention when Pod 042 returned to her side, and even though she should be feeling something positive to it coming back to her, she cannot muster anything of the like. She still felt hollow.

She wanted nothing more than to cut A2 down, but the groaning metal metal to her side told her that she would not be able to do that as the two machines recovered from their respective crashes and moved closer to one another. Ports on their sides opened up and they slammed into one another, and suddenly the two machines had joined together, becoming a single unit. As much as 2B wanted to end things here with A2, she couldn't do that with this machine around, and with a quick, side-glance to A2, there was a brief mutual understanding between them, and they both charged at the machine.

It swung at them with wide and sharp arms, unleashed burst of electricity that threatened to fry their circuits, it fired off missiles and let loose small mobile bombs at them. It was relentless in its continued assault on them, but despite the hostility she felt towards A2, as well as her own handicaps, the two of them had done well in fending off the machine's attacks, until eventually they had ended it, cutting it down until there was nothing left.

With the machine dead, it left only them, the two of them standing a fair distance away from one another.

2B gripped her sword tightly, just waiting for _something_ on A2's side to prompt her to attack.

Eventually, A2 did say something.

"2B," she said, sounding far more tired than she had previously. "This tower is a giant cannon aimed at the servers on the moon. If this things goes off, than the rest of humanity's data will be lost."

All 2B could do was offer A2 a blank, uncertain expression. Why on Earth was that a concern for _anyone?_ As far as 2B was concerned, all the data on humanity could be blasted away into the deepest reaches of space, it didn't deserve a place in this world, not after everything that had happened to her, to 9S.

"Humans are dead, A2," she said flatly. "They've been dead for thousands of years. Let the machines blow up the moon. I don't care."

"2B," A2 said, and 2B had trouble placing the look on her face. Conflicted? Confused? Maybe even afraid? It was impossible to tell.

"That's what YoRHa was for, you know," 2B continued, when A2 did not give her a reason at all. "We weren't built to fight the machines, our reasons for being built had nothing to do protecting humanity until they could return back to their home planet. We're here for the sake of _morale_ ," she bitterly spat. "Androids lived past humans, and when the aliens invaded, the androids found themselves on the losing end, and that's when they came up with Project YoRHa, to create an elite organization of top-end androids, for the purpose of protecting a newly discovered human colony on the moon, deep in cryostasis."

A2 remained silent, her eyes glancing off to the side, seemingly refusing to meet 2B's own eye.

"The machines' attack on The Bunker was no accident, it was by initial design!" Her voice was louder, shouting as she felt a spike of anger overcoming her. Let it. "When the time came and we gathered enough data, a back door in the server would open up and every single YoRHa unit would become infected a logic virus. Nobody knew about this, not even the Commander, even though she knew about the humans, but she was just as expendable as the rest of us. Then all that data would be used to make the next generation androids!"

That seemed to catch her attention.

"That's right, you said your squad was killed just for their data, right?" She was trembling. "Everything you went through, was used to make me, and everything I went through will just be used to make some other android, and then everything will just repeat itself all over again!" she shouted, hysterical. "It never would have ended! We would have fought forever, in a never-ending war, and no one would have ever known _why!_ There was never any hope for us! We fought and died, and fought and died, for _fucking_ _ **nothing!"**_ Her voice broke as she let out a strangled cry. "You. Your squad. The Commander. 6O and 21O. 9S." Oh god 9S. "Me… Everything I did…" Her voice started to fade, sounding ever so broken with every passing word. "Every time I killed someone, I always tried to tell myself that it would one day end, but it never did, it never would have. I… I…" She began to sob, uncaring as the tears worked down her cheek. "9S, he… I…"

She broke.

2B fell to her knees, her sword dropped to her side, forgotten, as 2B could not hold back her anguished cries.

"I killed him," she admitted. "I killed him so many times, and it was for nothing."

She was wrong. Her decisions were wrong. Her indecisiveness, her passiveness, cost her the one thing in her life that gave her hope for the future. She should have taken him away, run as far away from YoRHa as they possibly could and hope that they could how make a life for themselves, even if it meant spending the rest of that life constantly looking over their shoulders for an Executioner's blade poised for their necks.

2B was done, she had no desire to fight anymore, there was just nothing more to drive her on any further. A2 had won, she killed 9S, now there was nothing to stop her from killing 2B.

"Just get it over with," she said in the most pitiable tone she had ever muttered. "I just don't care anymore."

2B closed her remaining, non-mangled eye, bowed her head, and simply waited for the end to come.

Seconds passed, but she did not hear A2 come closer to her, did not hear her draw her sword, 9S' sword how fitting, and as far as she knew, she had made no effort to step away from where she had been standing, and opening her eye, she saw that she was right. A2 remained rooted where she stood, the gaze she had been giving her melancholic.

"I said get it over with," 2B growled. "Just… Just end it, _please,"_ she begged. Just please bring it all to a close.

But again, A2 did not want she wanted her to do, instead she slowly brought her eyes to 9S' sword in her had, looking it over for a long time, as though in contemplative thought.

Eventually, she did speak.

"Ever since you two came to the city, 9S wondered a lot about you, about why they would assign a Battler and Scanner on so many consecutive missions together, for so long," she said, sounding so wearied, spent. "Eventually, as he learned more about you, watching how you reacted to the things around you, he took a guess on who you were; that you were a Type-E, and Executioner. A YoRHa model designed to specifically kill other YoRHa units, and that one day, you would kill him."

2B flinched beneath A2's sight, shrinking down into herself as her shame was laid bare before her. 9S figured her out, he did that sometimes, though she never knew how far in advance he did. Maybe he found out before he went looking in The Bunker's servers, maybe as soon as they met. He was always able to read her better than she could him, and over the years she must have developed a hundred, small quirks and habits that gave her away in small, invisible ways that she would never notice. Sometimes he fought back, sometimes her let her kill him, and sometimes he killed himself. Call her a coward, a selfish coward, but it was easier to carry out her mission when he did not know what was coming. Easier to kill him from behind so he didn't have time to react, to accuse her of her crimes, of her treachery.

She wished 9S was still alive, if not just so he could kill her. That right should have been his, and his alone.

"But you know what?" A2 continued, unaware or uninterested if 2B gave her any responses. "Even when he knew your designation, it wasn't until you two killed Eve that he pieced it all together."

2B reluctantly turned back to A2. What could she say now?

"When his consciousness was inside the machine network, uploading to the machine bodies around you, he saw you kill him, he saw what it did to you. You wouldn't have cried like that if you didn't mean it."

It always ends like this, that's what she said as she cradled his corpse, the emotions she tried so hard to bury bursting forth. Even if he only lost an hour, the 9S who had fought that battle with her, who had come crashing down from the sky to rescue her, who defended Pascal's village with her, who aided her in their ferocious battle with Eve, would have been gone. But he survived, he was clever and managed to save himself, and he witnessed what became of her after each and every one of his deaths.

He knew more than he had ever had before.

"When I met 9S," A2 continued, and 2B found herself focused entirely on what she had to say. "He was already infected with the logic virus, there was nothing either one of us could have done to save him." She paused, leaving 2B in desperate need for her to finish, to know what had happened. "He asked me to kill him, because he knew what killing him once did to you, how much pain it caused you, and he knew that if you found him after he fully succumbed to the logic virus, that you would be forced to kill him again. He didn't want you to live on knowing you erased him from the world forever."

She should have known, from the moment she saw that smile of his back on the bridge, the same smile, so sad and understanding, that told her that he knew what was about to happen, and he let it happen anyway. All for her sake.

Her lips curled upward and a chuckle escaped from her, soon followed by another, until she was laughing loudly, her cackles echoing through the empty and still air. She never laughed like this, maybe she never laughed at all, why not there was never much to ever laugh about. A chuckle, maybe, but never laugh. Of course, of course! That's how he would have died, trying to save her from more pain, because that was what he did, no matter how many terrible things she did to him, how badly she hurt him, he would always put her before himself if he could. He did so at the Factory, even though he only knew her for an hour at best, and in a cruelly fitting end he would do the same just as they were _freed_ at last, when no longer he had to die.

"Pod," she finally said, when the laughter died down. "Activate Anti-YoRHa subsystems, and prepare to release all the limiters on my body."

"Warning: Activating Anti-YoRHa subsystems and the release of the body's limiters will result in serious damage in your condition. Please retract order and reconsider-"

"I gave you an order, Pod, now just do it."

Pod 042 hesitated, but in the end it obeyed, and she felt those long-dormant systems and programs come to life in her body.

For years, 2B fought and died and killed, all in the vague hope that one day things could end, that she and 9S would be allowed to live their lives without YoRHa or the war looming over them, but she sees now that was never an option to begin with. Every day 2B hoped, she dreamed, that their pain, their suffering and anguish would one day pay off.

2B ran on stillborn dreams and fetid hopes.

2B wasted every chance she had at a peaceful life.

These systems had not been used in years, the systems were designed to make her more proficient in killing her fellow androids, she had stopped using them when the horrors of her crimes dawned on her. 9S deserved better than to be killed by some android who would only see him as their next mission, who would move on without ever giving him a second thought, who would never bother to remember him beyond what they needed to report back.

As terrible as this was, 2B decided she would kill him as his partner, as his companion, as his friend, as his...

2B needed to be the one to kill him.

She had no right to be 2B.

"There's no such thing as justice in this world," 2E said as she reached out and grabbed her sword off the ground and stood up. "But, if there's even the smallest molecule of it, somewhere in this vast and indifferent universe." Carefully, 2E reached up and grasped at her visor in her fingers and torn it off and over her head, tossing it to the side, and stared at A2 with her single, remaining eye. "Then I will use it to end this. For once, 9S will have justice for his death. Neither one of us are leaving this place A2."

"You don't want to do this, 2B," A2 said, with a small shake of her head, almost a plea.

2E raised Virtuous Contract and pointed it directly at A2. "Since when was want I wanted ever important?"

With great reluctance, A2 held up Cruel Oath.

At the top of this vast tower, the two androids prepared to fight a battle that would benefit neither of them in the end.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	12. An oath kept

**End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter XII-A: [A]n oath kept**

On many different levels, this was a fight that A2 did not want to have this fight. For one, 2E was in clearly no condition to engage in this battle; she was missing an eye, a bloodied void beneath her hair while her left arm had been missing at the elbow. The order she gave Pod 042 only made this more worrisome, as the removed limiters would only cause more harm to her body in the long run, but from the way things were shaping up, A2 doubted that 2E was too considerate towards the long-term. By all accounts, A2 had every advantage she needed to finish this battle, and quickly, but as she went over these facts, she knew that 'winning' this fight would be an uphill battle for the simple reason that A2 did not want to kill 2E.

2E on the other hand, seemed like she had every intention of killing A2 until her fast breath, and she didn't know if 2E had picked up on that.

A energy wire suddenly shout out from Pod 042, with enough speed that it caught A2 by surprise, as it dug into her shoulder. It burned at her skin with a magnetic charge, and A2 had to quickly stab Cruel Oath to the ground just so she wouldn't fall forward as 2E grabbed Pod 042 by the arm and reeled herself in towards A2. With no time to react, A2 rolled out of the way, letting go of her own sword to allow herself to move out of the way of 2E's own sword as she propelled herself from Pod 042. With the miss on her part, 2E flew a short distance away from A2, so she took this moment to dash towards her discarded sword, taking it just in time to block 2E's oncoming attack.

She was not prepared for the force behind the sudden blow from Virtuous Contract, which caused her to fly back and roll to the ground in a heap. Pain was ringing up her arm as she tried to regain her footing, blocking the next blow that came at her with both hands, which while she was better able to stand her own ground, she still needed to struggle to keep 2E at bay. Thanks to the release of her physical limiters, 2E was able to hit her with much more power and speed than she should have been able to in her current state. 2E was quick to pull back before swinging her arm back, and while A2 made to defend herself from the next swing, she did not count of 2E slamming her knee into her side.

A2 stumbled back, nearly tripping on her own feet, but she took the imitative and non-verbally called to Pod 153, who quickly activated a shield around A2, and while the time it to took was the minimal needed charge, it was enough to protect her from the newly summoned Virtuous Treaty, the heavy sword slamming into the energy shield with enough force to make the panel shimmer under the strain. Not to be deterred by A2's sudden defense, 2E proceed with a second swing with her great sword, letting the blade fly loose into a spinning circle that flew right at her. She dodged at the very last moment, the large blade barely scratching her skin as she jumped out of the way, and upon landing, instantly she took hold of Pod 153 and countered with a sudden burst of energy that directly hit 2E and sent her flying backwards a fair distance away.

Immediately a shower of small missiles shot into the air, from Pod 042, the mid-flight directions curving at they homed in on A2 herself. She dashed to the side, leaving them to impact and detonate against the white and solid ground. There was no rest for her as the missiles bombarded without relent, and so A2 retaliated with a furry of Pod 153's rapid fire, concentrating it all on 2E's location. With the closing distance between them, 2E's missiles became less effective, unable to fire off fast enough to catch her, and was quick to close the gap between them. Sudden 2E's spear, Virtuous Dignity, appeared in her hand, and twirling the spear once, she pulled it back before letting it fly right at A2. With the sound of the air being pierced, A2 dodged the spear that was thrown at her, jumping to the side as she did so, only for 2E to jumped at her, one half of of Virtuous Grief secured to her remaining fist, aimed right for A2's skull.

A2's Type-40 sword flashed into her hand and she used that to block the strike from 2E, the blow enough to force her down, the large surface of the sword absorbing the brunt of the strike, enough so that she was able to push back against the weapon, forcing 2E to fall to the side.

"This won't solve anything!" A2 yelled out, as 2E recovered from her fall. "We can go at this all day, but there's no point to this. 2B, ple-"

"Whoever said there was a point?" 2E growled as she stood back to her feet. "Everything I ever fought for ended up being nothing, it was all for a cause that wasn't worth dying for. It only makes sense for the last of YoRHa to end their lives in a meaningless battle. There's nothing in our lives worth an continued existence, so why not just end our lives here?"

A2, frankly, did not know how to respond to that, to 2E's nihilism, and if she agreed with it, she wasn't certain, not anymore at least. For years she lived with the desire to kill machines, one after the other, until one day a machine managed to overpower her, to end her life in some futile attempt at revenge, because someone needed to pay, someone needed to suffer like she had. No. 4, No. 16, and No. 21 were were dead, their absences breaking something forever inside her, and she had to direct that pain and hurt somewhere.

Now? She's not certain, but against all odds, she found out that she wanted to fight for tomorrow, whatever that meant. She just wished she knew how to properly vocalize this feeling inside her, and maybe she could convince 2B to stop fighting her.

Without being able to say anything else, A2 was forced to continue fighting as 2E charged her,

000

The fight continued, as much as A2 wished it had not. They went at one another with everything they had, neither failing to deliver their fullest, and it was clear that 2E was reaching her own limit.

2E screamed as A2 cut at her, sending her tumbling to the ground in a pained cry, while A2 stood to the side, one hand tightly gripping her sword tightly as she slowly approached her, keeping herself cautious as she did so. Right now, 2E was are her most dangerous, and her very life was in a very precarious balance, and she seemed to be pushing that balance into the abyss. With another roar 2E charged her, wildly swinging her sword at her, only for A2 to block or avoid each strike with ease, but suddenly, unexpectedly, 2E's sword flew from her hand, not that A2 had managed to force it out of 2E's hand, but rather like she had tossed it away.

Why had she done that, she had asked herself as her eyes followed the discarded sword fly through the air.

Her answer came in the form of 2E's stump striking in her in distraction, not with enough force to knock her back, but just enough to throw her off balance, making it easier for 2E to shoulder-tackle A2 to the ground, knocking the sword from A2's grasp. A2, too stunned to resist, was unable to resist 2E as she straddled her abdomen, and before she could even respond, brought her closed fist down with enough force to break _something_ between the two of them. What it was, something in her own face or 2E's fist, she did not know, and she had no time to think about it before 2E wrapped in hand around A2's throat in a vice-like grip

Panicked, feeling her neck beginning to crush, A2 reached up and tried to pull 2E away, but the joints of her fingers seemed to be locked up, and the weight of 2E's form all pushing down on her made it impossible to remove her.

She could recall a weapon, and stab her. It would be too easy, but she can't do that.

Too dark...

It hurt...

Just gotta...

Focus…

Overclock... systems...

Red began to fill her vision as an unbearable heat began to build up inside her.

Then, in an explosion that erupted from her body, sending out a massive EMP outwards, A2 activated B Mode.

2E landed backwards from her, her body spasm as it it tried to recover from the pulse she had just sent through her, but A2 allowed her no time to recover as she jumped back to her feet, and with speed she had not used before, crossed the distance to 2E and kicked her in the gut and sent her sliding across the floor before she scrambled to her feet. There was little time to prepare herself as A2 came down on her; she swung her sword at her, but A2 quickly dodged it in a red, hazy trail, and curling her fist up and slamming it right into 2E's gut. Every part of A2 felt it was burning up, the power coursing through B Mode compelling her to move, and to move fast, giving her a feeling that she could not be defeated, that she was on top of the goddamn world. It was because of this feeling, that she did not hold back against 2E, and let loose a flurry of enraged blows against her, giving her not a single chance to defend herself.

Then it was gone, B Mode had deactivated, and A2 felt as through all the energy, that had only moments before filled her with an never-ending vitality, had completely drained out of her, leaving her as though each limb had felt as through it weighted a thousand pounds. Even the hair on her head, felt like a lead helmet, threatening to crack and bend her neck out of shape, and she felt herself fighting her only body just to stay slumped standing up. Before her, 2E struggled to her feet, using her sword as a crunch, and from the looks of it, she looked as though she would collapse at any moment.

"N-Ni-" she gasped, her eye going dull as she fell to the ground in a heap, where she laid there, for what felt like minutes, that passed like hours, and A2 held her breath, unsure how to proceed.

Thankfully, Pod 042 spoke up.

"Statement: Unit 2B has entered emergency shutdown mode."

"So, that means she out for the count then?" A2 asked, trying to ignore the aches and pains that she had begun to notice now that the battle was over.

"Statement: This is correct," Pod 153 said. "Unit 2B will remain in emergency shutdown mode until the necessary repairs are done. Suggestion: Please exit The Tower with unit 2B, and report to the Resistance Camp, so that necessary repairs can be carried out."

"Yeah, yeah I got that." Willing her sword away, A2 carefully stepped over to 2B's form, each step hesitant. "You sure she's out? That she's not just gonna jump up and stab me?"

Pod 042 answered, "Negative: Unit 2B is not responding to any prompts from this unit to begin start-up, and her black box is running on lower power mode."

"Right. Good. Just find a way out for us, okay?"

"Affirmative," both Pods answered at once.

Carefully, A2 knelt down next to 2B, and slid her arms under the other android's legs and back, before hoisting them up, cradling her in her arms. She needed to get her out of here, and fast.

"Analysis: Scans indicate that there are several YoRHa flight units nearby that appear to be in functioning order," Pod 153 said, flying a short distance away from A2, leaving her to assume that all she had to do was follow the box.

So she did, making certain not to jostle 2B too much in her arms, and walked away from the battlefield, wanting to put everything about this behind her.

000

It did not take too long to find the flight units, going through a small series of hallways, down a flight of stairs before entering what looked like some kind of massive, open-aired hangar, with the transports sitting on their sides, near the edge of the ledge.

"These things will work?" she asked.

"Affirmative: Merely upright two of the units," Pod 153 explained. "Then secure unit 2B into one of the flight units, and Pod 042 will overwrite user rights under your name, and you will be able fly both unit 2B, and yourself, to safety."

"If you're sure this is safe." Gingerly, A2 lowered 2B to the ground, and began to upright the flight unit, something which proved to be more strenuous than she had initially expected it to be, but despite the effort she needed to put forth to move them into the proper position. She was halfway done with the second flight unit when something caught her ear; a distant maddened laughter and giggling, and turning her eyes to the doorway, she could see a small group of infected YoRHa units sprinting towards them.

"Shit, shit!" she cursed, pushing the flight unit to its feet. She was in no condition to deal with them right now, there was no way she could kill them while keeping 2B safe. The Pods instantly opened fire on the YoRHa, assaulting them with bullets and lasers, trying to hold them off while A2 hurried in her current task of trying to secure 2B inside her own flight unit. She struggled to get her body to stay in the harness, it was no easy task as she kept slumping forward on her, but eventually, she was able to snap everything in place and secure the cockpit around her. "Let's go!" she called out, jumping into her own flight unit, the harness closing around her and the control displays lighting up.

"Affirmative," both pods said in unison, their small frames immediately bee-lining it for the compartments on their respective units. It only took a moment to do so, but still A2 found herself dreading the second of defenselessness it meant for her and 2B; while they had done their job in slowing the YoRHa down, they were still coming for them, and every nanosecond was precious to their escape.

A2's black box loudly hummed in her chest as she the engines to her flight unit began to burn to life, lifting her into the air slowly, inch by agonizing inch, all while the infected androids launched themselves at them.

 _There!_

There was enough clearance between her and the ground now, all systems were go, and A2 opened fire on the androids, cutting them down in the air, spreading their parts into bloodied pieces along the ground, leaving nothing left.

Except for the one that she missed, which jumped onto 2B's hovering flight unit, sending both of them tumbling into the white abyss below.

"Shitno!" A2 cried out, giving chase, seeing the infected pound and tear at the unit.

"Warning: Connection has been lost with Pod 042. Unable to establish connection with unit 2B's flight unit."

"Get that thing off of her!"

"Statement: Infected YoRHa unit is too close in proximity to unit 2B's flight unit, melee and ranged defensive options cannot be taken at the risk of causing collateral damage to unit 2B. Alternative measures must be taken."

It was already tearing at the cock pit.

"Then hack me into that thing!"

"Warning: Hacking into an android at this stage on infection is-"

"Just do it alright!"

"Affirmative."

A2's consciousness data was ripped from her skull and she found herself implanted into the mind of the infected android, the defenses that were created to protect itself from intrusions all but stripped away, and while A2 was no expert on hacking, it was not a difficult thing to do.

She had to save 2B, that was _crackle_ all that mattered.

The android died before it could rip 2B out of the flight unit, and fell to the clouds below. With it gone, A2 let go of the breath she had been holding, and assumed control of 2B's flight unit, and with guidance from the Pods, flew off, in hopes of finding an exit.

000

One was found, near the pinnacle of The Tower, A2 lead 2B out and their flew from the structure, just as it began to shake and tremble, and something fired off from the top, launching off into space and leaving behind a massive vapor trail that streaked across the sky.

A2 wondered if they had managed to hit the moon, or if they had decided to do something else with it. She didn't know, and maybe she never would.

The Tower, in all its size and glory, truly a momentum in itself, then began to collapse. Giant slabs of white material began to crack and fall away from the structure, the central pillar dropping off from the supporting struts that held it up, dropping onto the city below. Soon, the whole structure was gone, leaving half the city covered in white rubble, and from her position high above it all in the sky, A2 watched on in amazement, and how something that massive, that advance, could be reduced to nothing so quickly.

There was no time to linger or wonder however, she needed to get 2B somewhere safe, so she made her descent, aiming to land somewhere untouched by the fall of The Tower.

000

The silence of the forest was ripped apart as the engines of the flight units roughly landed in the center of the running river, scaring off a small herd of moose back into the overgrowth. A2 paid no mind to them as she jumped out of her flight unit and freed 2B from hers, and after wading through the knee-deep water, gently placed her down in the shade at the base of a tree.

"She'll be alright, right?" she asked.

"Diagnostic runs must be tested to fully ascertain the level of damage unit 2B has sustained," Pod 153 said as it and Pod 042 hovered over 2B's form.

With a slow nod, A2 leaned against a nearby tree, feeling the weight of her body coming down on herself, barely supporting herself against the trunk. She was tried, badly hurt and exhausted, but she had gotten 2B to safety.

A2 cried out as static filled her head, feeling as though she was splitting open from the inside, before she collapsed to her hands and knees. The world momentarily spun out from around her, and when she regained her senses, the two Pods were floating over her, blaring alarms and warnings, so frantically that she was unable to parse what they were saying, but she didn't need to, they were all on the same page.

She had been infected with the logic virus.

Shit.

"It's fine," she said, pushing herself back up to her feet. "Its fine. Just focus on 2B right now."

"Analysis: Unit A2 is currently infected with a logic virus, removal of said virus is of the greatest importance at this moment," said Pod 153.

"No," A2 said, firmly, trying to appear stronger than how she felt. "I'll be okay, and knowing my luck, nothing we do will solve anything. I must have got infected just as we were leaving The Tower, so by now it's probably already deep into my system." She laughed, it sounded bitter to her. "Can't do anything, even if I wanted to."

Pod 153 floated in silent stillness, its manipulator arms retracting to its body. "Query: If unit A2 does not wish to attempt removing the virus, then what will you do?"

Standing tall, A2 looked down at the Pod, and allowed herself a small, and sad smile. "I think I'll just go for a walk now, try and clear my head a bit, you know, while I still can."

"…Understood."

"Just… watch over her, okay? She'll need it."

"Affirmative."

Clenching her fist, A2 raised her hand out, leveling it next to where Pod 153 hung in the air, to which Pod 153 responded by gently tapping one of its claws against her fist before it settled back. With that complete, A2 summoned Cruel Oath into her hand, the golden blade shimmering in the light that filtered trough the trees, and settled in next down to 2B's form.

There was a lot she could say at this moment, to 2B, to the Pods, about so much. But she didn't.

Turning away from them, A2 walked away, her legs somehow carrying her body through the forest, undisturbed, and in peace.

000

There were no machines on her path. Maybe they were all dead, or they had run, or gone to The Tower, but wherever they were, they were not in the same place as she, and she did not mind that. At the moment, she did not care to get into any fights with anyone, and for once she just wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet. As A2 walked on, she paid no mind to where she was going, she had no set destination in mind, and she did so at her own, slow and steady pace, an oddly calming sense of peace and calm fulfilling her as she did so. Even as the color faded from her vision, and the sound drained from her ears, she felt no panic or fear, not even when pain began to enter her body, causing strain in her joints and chest, causing what felt like a fire had begun in her chest. Nothing stopped A2 from her course.

How could she let such negative thoughts and emotions cloud her thoughts? She was finally going to meet with the people she had missed more than anything else in this world, it was only a matter of time.

When A2 did collapse to her knees, her body succumbing to its limits, she did it outside the Forest Kingdom, outside the commercial facility.

"I did what you said and kept her safe," A2 said aloud to the spot she killed 9S, those three weeks ago. "She didn't make it easy, and I almost killed her, but she lived in the end. What she does now though, that's up to her."

Almost tenderly, A2 reached out and carefully laid her hand down on the stone where she had last seen him. "You know, kinda wish things had been different, woulda liked to know you, and 2B better than I did. You knows, maybe… No, never mind. Not like it matters much now." It would have been nice to just end it there, to let the virus take her mind into digital oblivion, but damaged as her body was, it would still provide trouble some some Resistance android, or wandering machine. She didn't want to cause Anemone or Pascal any kind of trouble. "Well, latter, Nines."

Standing to her feet, A2 stumbled along to the ledge of the cliff, and allowed herself to look at, and take it, the city as it now was.

The world was beautiful, she realized now, and she wished she had only realized that sooner.

Taking one foot off the ground, A2 put it forward, and let herself fall into the comforting darkness below.

000

a solitary android

was amused how it all ended

in the deepest darkness

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	13. farewell this Broken world

Fipp: Okay, but what if…

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter XII-B: farewell this [B]roken world**

The fight continued, as much as 2E wished it had not, that she would be able to end it soon. They went at one another with everything they had, _neither_ failing to deliver their fullest, and it was clear that A2 would be able to overtake her with time, time she simply did not have to spend.

2E screamed as A2 cut at her, sending her tumbling to the ground in a pained cry, while A2 stood to the side, one hand tightly gripping her sword tightly as she slowly approached her, keeping herself cautious as she did so. Right now, 2E was in splitting agony, every system in her body screaming, feeling as though it would break apart at the seams the longer this fight went on. Her body was in no condition to go on further, it hadn't been from the start of this fight, and while she had managed to land a good number of hard blows on A2, it was clear the scale still did not tip in her favor. Her muscles felt as though they were mere moments from snapping, that one more good swing from her sword would cause her limbs to break from the tension she had applied to them.

Her stump was bleeding again, sparking too, and her bloodied hair was clinging to the side of her head.

She never defeated A2 in their fights, 2E often wondered why that was, she was the higher-end model, she was built on A2's data, designed to kill YoRHa androids, but despite that, A2 was the one who always managed to kill her in the end. Why?

Maybe A2's desire to live was stronger than her desire to kill her.

Not that she had a desire to kill her.

She was a terrible Type-E. Couldn't kill A2, and she hated herself for killing 9S. Now she was going to die here, and she would have accomplished nothing for it.

No no no no. It had to mean something. It just HAD to. She needed to do this for Nines. This was the only way he could hopefully find peace. With a roar, 2E charged at A2, swinging her sword wildly, but the older androids merely blocked or evaded each and every one of her strikes. Nothing she did worked.

An idea struck her. It wasn't a smart plan, it would likely lead to her death, but if she could buy herself a second, then maybe she could turn this fight in her favor.

Her next swing was wide, and she made certain that A2's eyes her focused on the position of her sword, positioning herself close enough to A2 so that she would be forced to block her. Instead of striking down on A2, 2E released her blade on the downswing, the sword falling from her hand as it fly through the air. She got what she wanted; A2's eyes widened in confusion, trailing after the sword as it flew through the air, and as her attention was briefly distracted, 2E lunged herself forward, her severed arm extended forward and managed to strike A2 in the face, and as A2 stumbled back a step, almost tripping over herself, and 2E took this moment tackle A2, shoulder first. When they both collapsed to the ground, A2's sword fell from her hand as it slid across the ground, and with this state of vulnerability, 2E jumped down on her, straddling her waist, and the first thing that came to her mind was to reel her fist back and slammed it down right onto A2's face.

Pain radiated up 2E's entire arm, feeling as though something in her limb split in half, and she she hear a pop in her elbow as she pulled it back. Her body was taking too much, and every movement caused her pain, and another punch like that could cripple her further than she already was. Had circumstances been different, 2E would have been sicked with herself with how easily it was to default to choking her, two wrap her hand around A2's throat with a vice-like grip. Below her, A2's eyes widened in a panic, her arms reaching up to grapple with 2E's hand and arm, clutching at her limb and her fingers, trying to pry her off of her, but her fingers were already locked in, digging into A2's throat, completely resistant to her attempts to free herself. The seconds passed, A2's began to weaken as she tried to push 2E off of her, her desperate clawing reduced to a weak grip on her arm, feebly trying to get a get at her fingers, but to no avail.

2E took a frightening delight in the look on A2's, the pained grimace she wore, pained gasps weakly escaping her throat as her eyelids fluttered several times, over stormy blue eyes that could only begin to dull as the light of life began to part from them. She wondered if this was what A2 saw when she killed her in the past, it was certainly what she saw with 9S. It was almost done, mere seconds left, and she could be _done_ with everything.

She didn't notice the heat build around A2, nor did she notice the light glitching in her vision. There was no time to react as A2's body exploded in a bright, and painful, red light, an electro-magnetic pulse rocking her system as she was thrown back, everything her body too scrambled to even register the impact from the ground as she hit it at full force. Her thoughts and movements were slurred as she tried to stand back up, barely able to exert control over her limbs, trying to force them to do what she wanted them to do. She was given no time to do regain control, before A2 delivered a swift kick to her abdomen that sent her sliding across the floor, before reigning in enough control of her body to scramble to her feet. 2E summoned her sword into her hand as A2, with the hazy red aura of her B Mode surrounding her, came at her, fists clenched with a much higher running speed that 2E had been caught off by. She attempted to swing at her, to cut down her quickly-approaching target, but A2 dodged the blow, and swiftly delivered a punch into her stomach, and everything went gray and white for 2E.

Another strike was soon to follow, then another, and another, and soon she found herself rained down by A2's continuing flurry of blows, she tried to defend herself, but nothing she did held up against A2's relentless power. Each one forced her back, sending warning alarms to blare inside her skull and dance across her vision, until A2 delivered one last strike that sent her crashing to the ground, and it was at that moment that 2E did not know if she would be able to get back up.

Above her, the red light vanished from A2's body, B Mode having deactivated, leaving her slumped over and obviously out of breath, and from the way she was holding herself, 2E could tell that one, well-place sword strike would be enough to end her, to put her down, but she could barely push herself to her own feet, how could she even kill her. Everything was getting dark and hazy, static filled her head as she almost fell over.

No, no, no… She could not let this be it, after so much happened. There had to be more than this.

"N-Ni-" she rasped.

She had never done anything right in her life, every single moment had been filled with failure and missed opportunities. Over the course of three years, she had let down 9S in every way possible, and now, at this last moment, she was about to let him down again, because she couldn't get bring him any sense of justice.

It would have been easy to just shut down…

A2 closely limped towards her, sword in hand with the tip of the blade dragging against the floor, until she was just in reach of her. There's no real strength in her, not anymore, she doubted she could defend herself from whatever A2 wanted to do to her. Would it have been better to let A2 kill her?

Maybe.

But no. She needed this. This one thing. To prove that there was some kind of meaning left in her life.

She **refused** to die, not yet.

2E screamed, a deep, primal cry that tore itself from her throat as she lunged herself at A2 with a sudden burst of new-found strength and vigor, and thrust Virtuous Contract forward with the power that had rejuvenated her arms. From the look on A2's face, she clearly did not expect this attack, and lacked her own strength to properly defend herself, barely able to raise her sword to try and block 2E's blow, but could manage to marginally block the white blade, but the result was still the same. 2E fell on A2, knocking her back, and her sword entered her torso, tearing into her frame, with a splatter of erupting blood, and all A2 could do was deliver a pained gasp as they hit the floor, and 2E could see the same, wide-eyed look of disbelief that she had seen on 9S so many times.

That was all she had given, however, before the gasps turned into a sad, pathetic whimper, and A2's eyes dulled and her eyelids dropped, and 2E knew enough of what she was seeing to know that A2's death had been quick. With the blood pooling out from beneath her, and onto the colorless floor, there had to be no alternative than death. There was no time for reflection, however, as immediately 2E began to scream and collapse to A2's side, where she began to writhe in pain as she clutched at her side, to where the agony was coming from, and her shaking hands grabbed at a sword impaling her side.

Looking down, she saw it was 9S' sword; she must have fallen on it when she attacked A2, and a part of her couldn't be bitter about this. There was still pain, it was almost unbearable, and 2E couldn't help but cry out, her voice echoing through the silence of The Tower, and there was nothing to answer her back. Using whatever strength she had left, 2E pushed herself up, her arm threatening to collapse underneath her, before managing to support herself on her knees, but she felt that any further than that would be simply beyond her.

She gripped the sword by the handle and began to pull on her, the blade further cutting at her insides, which only served to cause more harm to her, more pain, but still she pulled, slowly removing the blade out from her, even placing her vulnerable hand on the sharp edge, slicing up her palm and fingers in the process. Eventually, the sword was removed, with an tormented scream from 2E as Cruel Oath fell to the ground, leaving the gaping wound in 2E's side to openly bleed. It wasn't a fatal wound, she could tell, but it left untreated it wouldn't be long before she bled out.

"Suggestion: Tend to wounds gained in the battle with A2, and return to the Resistance Camp so that more substantial repairs can be made. In your current state you will likely suffer blood loss within fifteen minutes."

She only paid half-attention to what Pod 042 had to say, before she looked back to A2's body.

"A2, is she dead?" she asked hoarsely.

"Affirmative: Unit A2's black box is currently offline. Death confirmed."

She did it, she killed A2, she managed to get her justice for 9S.

So why does she not feel happy about this? Why, when killing the one person she wanted to actually kill, does she even feel worst? All she did was add another corpse to her collection.

There's only thing thing she can do, the only thing left to left. So she reached back down and picked up 9S' sword, feeling unbearably heavy now, and heaved it upward until the flat of the blade was resting on her shoulder, the chipped edge directed towards her neck.

A sob escaped her.

"Suggestion: Return to Resistance Camp at once."

Never before had she ever felt this afraid, this alone. Everything she ever knew was either a lie, or was gone. She was so far into enemy territory, into this strange place, that she couldn't see anything that was even remotely familiar to anything she had ever seen. She was suffering so much, and she just wanted it to stop. She was so tired…

"2B," Pod 042 said. "Please don't…"

If she felt she had the strength to spare, or the arm, she would have giving Pod 042 one last affectionate pat on the chassis.

Rather easily, she slid 9S's sword, the only weapon she would permit to do this, across her neck and opened her throat. As she chocked on her own blood, 2E collapsed to the ground, and made no attempt to prevent or stop the blood flow, until darkness took her.

000

In order to prevent information leaks that could lead to the compromise of YoRHa, a special division of androids were constructed, designated Type-E, for Executioners. If an android fell into into machine hands, or if they were overridden by a logic virus, a Type-E would be there to kill the android in question, so that their backup data would be uploaded into a new body. While this is not pleasant work, but it is necessary for the greater good of YoRHa, and for the sake of humanity as a whole.

The data used to create the Type-E was gathered from an earlier, prototype model, known as No. 2, who had since deserted YoRHa and has been labeled a traitor. Regardless, she was an impressive android that had demonstrated resilience, determination, and resourcefulness. This personality data was determined to be perfect for such a task, and large aspects of this made it into the No. 2 personality template.

As YoRHa Unit No. 2 Type-E, large portions of my base personality were taken from the renegade android known as No. 2, later known as A2.

I was originally manufactured on January 7th, 11942, and roughly three weeks later, January 30th 11942, YoRHa Unit No. 9 Type-S was rolled out of manufacturing.

I was created in preparation for him.

Where am I? I can't see anything, it's so bright, and warm.

There is light everywhere around me, and I don't know what this place is.

There was a special sub-group of Type-Es who are not meant to be known by their designation, at least by the public. They were meant to go undercover as other android types, the reason being is that were are meant to observe and report on certain androids of interest who are supposed risks to YoRHa.

According to simulations of his AI, 9S, who was created to be the most high-end Scanner to be produced, had a high likelihood of accessing top secret information inside The Bunker's servers.

It my was duty to execute him if he should do this. He acted as predicted, so I did my duty.

"My name is 9S. I'm here to provide support."

He said that the next time we met, after all his personal data had been wiped, and he had been reset. Like last time, he remained bright and cheerful, but I did not care, as long as he effectively performed his duties, I saw no reason interfere with how he acted.

Still, he was happy to be around me.

Even when he later knew the truth about me.

Everything hurts, I don't think I can move. I don't really want to.

The warmth started to fade and cold began to creep into my body, gripping at my black box with icy tendrils that wrapped around my black box.

Is this death? I always wondered what it was like. What 9S saw when our time together ran out.

A shape formed in front of me, and what I saw was something I did not expect.

It was the two red girls.

She explained The Tower was a cannon to destroy the human server on the moon. If the server was destroyed, then androids would lose hope, lose the war. This was their plan from the start.

Then their plan changed. They had observed the battles between machines and androids. They saw my battles with Adam, and with Eve, and what happened in the days following, and how we lived, how we existed. They altered their plans.

They no longer wished to destroy the human server, but instead they wished to fire an ark into the reaches of space. A collection of all of the machines memories that had been, and send them into space in hopes of reaching a new world.

Personally, I don't think they'll reach such a place.

But they can wait, they said. They had no concept of time.

Adam and Eve are inside the ark.

Eve stood before me, and he gave me such a sad smile. Adam is behind him, looking at him with a curious stare.

I can't meet his gaze, not too well. I think my mind is shutting down. Too much damage has been done to it.

"Would you like to come with us?" Eve asked, almost child-like.

"Why ask me this?" I questioned back.

"You just seem really sad."

I didn't know how to answer, so I decided to be honest with him. "I am. I lost someone important to me."

"I'm sorry. My brother is the most important person I know, I don't know what I would do if I lost him."

I know what would happen, because I saw it. How you raged and screamed and cried. You were powerful when we last met, but nothing you did suggested you had any kind of plan, or coordinated attack. You were just lashing out at everything around you because you were in so much pain.

Right before I killed you, I understood that.

I'm sorry I killed Adam. I'm sorry I took away the most important person in your life.

If only things had been different.

Everything was starting to get hazy and dark for me. The longer I thought, the more difficult it began for me focus on what I wanted to say, to think.

It's difficult, but I think about what I had been offered.

"I'll stay," I say at last.

I'm too tired to go anywhere.

I don't want to go anywhere.

If this world suffered for me being in it, then I can't see any other world improved by me.

This is fine. I deserve this. I want this.

I can't… think anymore…

Too hard…

I was wrong about what I said before…

It wasn't all meaningless…

The time I spent with you…

…was like memories of light.

Thank you…

and goodbye…

Oh Nines…

000

a lonely girl

thought of a loved one

in a world of ended dreams

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp


	14. the memory Cradle

Fipp: I would have gotten this out last week, but I _had_ to finish up Kingdom Hearts III.

Holy hell that game!

 **End of All Meaning**

 **Chapter XIII: the memory [C]radle**

Pod 153: The rules are protected by low-level systems. Salvaging data poses an unacceptable level of risk.

Pod 153: Knowing that, do you still wish for them to survive?

Pod 042: Yes.

000

LOADING -Booting System…

Commencing System Check

Memory Unit: Green

Initializing Tactics Log

Loading Geographic Data

Vitals: Green

Remaining MP: 100%

Black Box Temperature: Normal

Activating IFF

Activating FCS

Initializing Pod Connection

Launching DBU Setup

Activating Inertia Control System

Activating Environmental Sensors

Equipment Authentication: Complete

Equipment Status: Green

All Systems Green

Combat Preparations Complete_

000

At first, it was hard to move any limbs, they were too stiff, too sore, to move properly, which resulted in further ache along the joints, but the desire to relocate was stronger than the need to rest, to submit to the darkness that was all-surrounding. It was difficult, as though the body had forgotten how to respond to stimuli from the brain, but eventually fingers began to twitch in response, and the reward was the sensation of hard, solid ground being scrapped against arms and legs, gloved fingers and the back of boots digging into the stonework.

"Good morning, 9S."

9S groaned as he opened his eyes beneath his visor, squinting at the brightness that flooded his eyes from the sunlight above, filtered through the clothed screen. Slowly, trying to not too badly agitate the dull aches in his body, 9S managed to push himself into a sitting position to feel moderately comfortable.

"Pod 153?" he asked, trying to take in his surroundings, as well as the pod that floated several feet above him. In his head, he tried to recall the past events that had happened to him, how he ended up here, wherever 'here' was.

There was the assault. The logic virus. The Bunker, it was gone. Everyone in YoRHa was dead. The crash in the Flooded City-

His own infection. Trying to get rid of it. Failing at that…

A2. Bridge.

9S painfully gasped as he grasped at his abdomen, at the location where A2 had used his own sword to run him through. Because he asked her too. Because it was the only thing that could be done, other wise the only other person who could do it was-

"2B!" In a panic, 9S' head turned around, trying to find her, he had to find her. Where was she? Where was he even? He's somewhere up high, he can see from his perspective, clearly on top of a sky scrapper overlooking a city, but was this even the same city? There was so much strange white rubble covering it, ranging in size from mountainous slabs to large boulders, having crushed so many buildings and structures, that if this was the same city, it was impossible to tell.

In any other circumstance, he would have wanted to know what he was looking at, what had happened during his… absence, but right now that didn't matter.

He _needed_ to find 2B.

She wasn't far, she was only laying right beside him, with Pod 042 floating just above her, and he ended up feeling a bit foolish with how worked up he had become, but the moment he laid eyes upon her sleeping form, he was instantly overcome with the strong desire to touch her, to be near her, and as he laid his hand down on her shoulder the fears and anxieties that had been building up inside of him ever since the assault began all began to melt away. There was something about this, just being near her, that felt right, that made him feel at peace and there was nothing else wrong with the world. There were no human left alive, the very thing that all androids were built to protect and serve no longer existed, all these thousands of years of warn and conflict against the machines didn't mean anything, and all the battles they fought were for nothing, but he didn't care. As long as he could be by 2B's side he could be happy, even if that meant fighting a never-ending war.

Happy, even though he knew who she was.

Was there something wrong with that? Was it some kind of cosmic joke by a nonexistent god for him to feel happy and content in the presence of his own murderer?

He didn't care.

But still, there were still things he needed to know.

"Pod," he asked, not taking his eyes off 2B's powered-down form. "What happened after I met up with A2? Why is 2B shut down like this?"

"Report: Unit 9S was killed 1718 hours ago, following your contact with unit A2 upon the bridge to the commercial facility. Following that, us tactical supports units reconstructed your parts."

"So, I've been out for just about two months…" A lot could have happened in two months. Too much. With a light turn of his head, 9S looked away from 2B and to his pod. "And the logic virus?"

"Report: The logic virus previously inside you remains in suspension after its deactivation following The Tower's collapse."

"So it's just in suspension," 9S muttered to himself. "It's not a problem right now but-Wait! Tower? What Tower? No, forget about that for now, what about 2B? What happened to her?"

"Unit 2B ceased activity approximately 740 hours ago."

"Was she infected too?"

"Negative."

"Then why isn't she wake up?"

"Correction: Unit 2B can be activated in low-power mode, but any attempt to activate her beyond the most basic functions result result in a complete system shut-down. This unit has already attempted 345 boot-up combinations 34,500, and all have ended in failure. 2B's current status suggests that there is a possibility that her personal data is corrupt."

"Her personal data?" He looked back to her, the comfort quickly faded away as he took the sight of her in, just thinking about the very _idea_ that she could just be _gone_ was sickening to him. His grip on her shoulder loosened as his hand moved further up, until he was gently cupping his palm against her cheek, and the soft weight of her skin against his glove was enough to ease those feelings. At least for the moment. "Then I got some work to do, huh?"

"Statement: This unit recommends against any attempts to hack into unit 2B, the unknown cause of her inability to load her personal data could possibly lay deeper than your usual permitted maintenance routes."

That gave him moment to pause. He had been placed in charge of 2B's maintenance, meaning he knew well how her systems were, but only the ones he had been allowed to work with, and as his personally assigned Executioner, 2B would have likely had a subsystem built into her created with him in mind, designed to very possibly lock-down, or maybe even erase, his own personal data if he ever decided to launch an attack against her. Hopefully in her current state he would be able to either bypass or just completely ignore those traps.

He had to try no matter what.

With his mind already mad up, 9S readjusted how he sat, folding his legs over, and taking 2B's hand into his own, giving it a firm squeeze, and a very large part of him wanted to believe that she squeezed back.

"I'll be fine, trust me," he said as he booted up 2B, and like the Pods had said, she did not go beyond the minimally required system boot-up procedures before the start-up simply stopped. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough to give him access.

With a simple thought, 9S sent separated his consciousness from him body and uploaded it to 2B's body.

000

When entering hacking space, 9S was always presented with infinite beige-colored space, the landscape shaped by cubes, and straight and narrow corridors that could only take sharp turns, it was something he knew well, having dived into countless time by accessing machines, androids and general-use terminals alike. Due to 2B's condition, he expected the darkness that surrounded him, leaving him with limited vision of the digital landscape, but there was something that put him at unease, something that left him with the feeling that there was something about this hack that was different than the other ones he had performed. For one, instead of being projected as his cursor avatar, he is instead presented in one that is one of his physical body,

"Odd," he wondered aloud, looking over his arms. "Pod, I need you to-Pod?"

He looked around when he noticed the absence next to him,that there was no, simplistic polygonal display to represent Pod 153, floating anywhere near him.

"Pod 153, can you answer me?" he called out, expecting at the next least to receive a display with a text message on it, but there was nothing. Pod 153's data should have made the transfer with him, but for whatever reason, he could not detect its presence anywhere near him, meaning it was still stuck somewhere outside on the outside, unable to aid him. Something must have been very wrong with 2B to prevent that from happening. That was why he was here in the first place, so he started his trek down the darkened path, heading to the varying nodes that controlled 2B's more basic systems, and from there he could start and hopefully figure out what was wrong with her.

He came to a stop however, unable to proceed any further as a large section of the pathway was gone, as though something large had come along and simply swiped away, reducing it to jagged ledges, and leaving the nodes inaccessible to him. Damage like this was never a good sign, but there was something else here he had never seen before. Growing around the edges of where the path had been destroyed, there appeared to be what looked like thick, black vines growing out of the ground and wrapping around the ground. Dark and jagged thorns out of them, sharp like daggers, that dug into the floor and eating away at the foundation beneath his feet.

"What is this?" He knelt down next to the cluster of vines, each one thick as his arms, their own blackness somehow standing out against the darkness around them. This thing, it was not the corruption brought on by a logic virus, nor was it anything else he had ever heard or researched on, whatever it was, it was something either new, or unique to 2B herself.

Carefully, 9S reached out to the vine, and with a moment's hesitation, 9S placed his hand against the vine.

He instantly reeled back, crying out in pain and stumbled backwards, unable to control his body as the images uploaded into his mind and agony ripped through his form. In this state 9S had no ability to take in where he was, and was unable to stop himself from tripping backwards and falling over the edge and into the abyss below.

000

Pod 153: Connection failed: This has been the seventy-fifth attempt to contact unit 9S.

Pod 042: Query: There have been no changes in his status at all?

Pod 153: Response: None. While this unit is still able to monitor his vitals, direct connection with unit 9S has so far proven impossible, and is likely being caused by whatever error that is preventing unit 2B from properly reactivating.

Pod 042: Query: Unit 9S' vitals so for do suggest that at the present moment that he is in danger?

Pod 153: Negative: All of 9S' vital statuses are currently stable.

…

…

Pod 153: What do we do now? We spent so much time repairing them and now…

Pod 042: I suggest we wait. Whatever is wrong with 2B, hopefully 9S can fix it.

Pod 153: Do you honestly think that?

Pod 042: I hope so.

000

When 9S returned to the world, he was surrounded on all sides by darkness, an inky abyss with no features, and a part of him wondered if he was still in hacking space. Maybe he was dead. Again.

No, wait, there was something in the dark all around him, something he could see if he put enough focus on it, something he paid more attention to as he pushed himself to his feet.

"More thorns," he said, "But this is looking so much worse than what I saw up above."

On the higher levels, what he saw a single cluster of vines, causing the damage to a pathway, but here, even deeper in the darkness, the vines surrounded him, thick as trees and the thorns were longer than he saw tall. He could see their silhouettes in the darkness, several mountains against the void of black, and he could see them slowly move and writhe in the far distance.

"Just what is this stuff?" Carefully, 9S walked forward, stepping over the smaller vines that curled along the ground, trying to bury themselves into the foundation, and careful to avoid touching any of them. At the moment, there was no way of knowing what these things were, or what they could do to him if he exposed himself to them for longer periods of them what what he had so far, so until he had a better grasp on the situation he needed to try avoid contact. The only thing he could do right now was go over what he did know, which he could admit was honestly nothing. There was the image he had received when he first touched the fine, just a single image was all he got, but the physical reaction on his part had been so extreme, as though his whole body had erupted into a blinding, heated pain, that forced him backwards. The image had been himself, laying on the ground. There was a large and bloodied gap in his chest, with blood pouring out of it and soaking into his chest and into the ground beneath him.

He had an idea what it was, but before he could say anything for certain, he needed to see more.

Waving his hand, 9S pulled up the schematics for 2B's systems, and thankfully he had at least that still going for him, and while he doubted if the map could provide an actuate depiction of what these systems looked like anymore, he hoped that at least it would be right in telling him where he was. If the map was right, he hoped it was right, then the place he wanted to be was not too far from where he saw.

With his next destination in mind, 9S dismissed the screen and continued on his way.

000

dark

too dark

is someone there?

please leave

000

The further he went into the system, the more the vines grew, becoming larger and more wild, and soon 9S found himself walking though a forest of giant, tree-like vines, sprouting from the ground and vanishing into the sky above. He had to stay in the middle of the path as he possibly could, as simply being near them left a heavy feeling of unease inside his chest, as though his black box was replaced with a block of lead that was too big to fit in his chest cavity. His head would also ache from the proximity of being close to them, a static that would fill his mind for a moment, and another image would appear as well, but it was hard to tell what he was looking a. Mostly is was just a cluster a pixels forming a still image, enough to give him an idea what he was looking at, but not enough to give him a full picture.

The further he went into a thicket, the more frequent the images became, and harder to block out, even when he tried to keep his distance from the more frequently abundant vines. He had to ignore them however, he couldn't let them get the best of him, not until he at least found 2B, and if the map he had was right, then he should be closer to where he wanted to go. When he found it, he wasn't too certain what he was going to expect, but what he encountered was a massive tree, formed of gnarled and twisted roots, easily larger than anything that he had seen on Earth. Inside, hopefully he would-

 _-Mud. Mixed with red. Laying there-_

find what he came for.

 _-sword deep in chest-_

9S groaned as he placed a hand against the side of his head. He didn't have to even touch the vines to receive the images anymore, they were just as easily downloaded into his head, a full image as opposed to a the partially pixelated messes he had been having shoved into his skull. His pace quickened, walking into the narrow opening between the vines, until he came to a small hollow inside the deepest reaches of the tree, and it was here he found what he needed. There was an altar in the center of the small room, white and crumbling with vines digging into it, eroding the material down to nothing, but what had caught his attention was what was lying on the top of it.

It was 2B, or at least the projection of her data, and judging from its appearance alone, it was not too hard for 9S to see the damage that had been done to her; vines were growing out of her body, pushing themselves through her clothes and skin, wrapping around her before trailing off her body and burying themselves into the ground, and possibly acting as the source of all the vines he had encountered thus far. The thorns dug themselves into her skin, drawing blood, and he was worried that if got too near her, the thorns would shred his own skin off.

"2B…" Slowly, 9S walked up to the projection before him and carefully attempted to touch his hand to her skin, but the interference from the body, the threat the overwhelm him with too many fragmented memories, was enough for him to take caution, to hover his hand over her body.

This was a memory leak, he was nearly certain of it. Something had caused such a heavy blow to 2B's memory region, that the damage had manifested in such an extreme way, enough to prevent her to from waking up at all. If this was the problem, then he would need to fix it.

He raised his hand to prepare to prepare another hack, when his head felt as though it was being ripped apart at the seam.

000

no

go away

please

not

you

who

leave me

alone

000

9S screamed in the darkness, the data that had suddenly flowed into his being too great, too painful, for him to properly process. Every moment felt like an the data was ripping at his circuits from the inside out. It was just too much to take in at once, even with his specs.

But through that pain, he had come to understand what was the root of the problem.

He knew who 2B was. YoRHa No. 2 Type-E, an Executioner model designed and manufactured to kill him when he discovered the truth about humans, something he began to piece together when they had met that Type-E in the City Ruin. From that encounter he learned how much their duty could cause them to suffer, and he remember wondering how many androids 2B had killed, and how much 2B suffered because of it. It wasn't until the pit, after Eve's death, that he came to learn the extent of the pain she had to endure for the sake of her duty, and just how much of it was because of him. It always ends like she, she had cried as she cradled his corpse, and he realized that the androids she had killed had been him, over and over again, and he knew exactly why too. It was because he had accessed information in The Bunker's servers, learning about mankind's extinction, diving deeper into the systems despite Pod 153's warnings.

How many times had he forced her hand because he couldn't take a moment to consider the ramifications of his actions? How many times did he have to make her to restart their relationship from scratch? Everything that she had gone through had been because of him, and the state of what he was seeing before him, and it was his responsibility to fix this. He needed to weed out the corrupted memories and try and restore them back to their original format, but the prospect of this did not sit too well with him, since it seemed that he would need to go through the memories frame by frame, considering how fragmented they had been. There was also the act of needing to go through 2B's memories himself, and going through her memories like that felt like a violation on his part, prying into some of her most private moments, the parts of herself that she never allowed anyone to know. It felt wrong of him to simply storm though them like that, but this seemed like the only thing he could do for her now.

He was also hesitant to dig into the memories because he knew what those memories would consist of.

Accessing too much data at a time clearly had a negative affect on him, meaning he would have to do this very slowly, so he readied himself as he dived in.

000

why are you doing this

000

She found them eventually, though she might have never thought to look up this far if one of them hadn't come out looking for her, telling her about this place. There was no reason for her to care, not anymore, she did her part, did it with everything she had to offer, so that should have been more than enough to excuse her from this mess for the rest of her life. Even so, she was not demanded to be here not even asked, bur rather the knowledge was imparted to her by the deliverer, and the choice of what to do with that was left entirely to her.

Still, the Pods apparently brought her back to life, so A2 figured she owed them this much at least.

"They still out?" she asked as she stepped over the forms of 2B and 9S, her laying on her back while he sat by her side, her hand held gently in his own.

"Affirmative: It has been roughly fifty hours since unit 9S' initial hacking of unit 2B in an attempt to restore her to fully function order," Pod 153 said, hovering over 9S' unmoving shoulders. "His vitals remain mostly stable, with short intervals where they will either drop or spike. The current cause of these changes is currently unknown."

With a heavy sigh, A2 walked over to the two, and sat down by them, so she could better take in their features, to take them in. They certainly looked better than the last time she had seen either of them, almost peaceful, entirely absent of the fear, grief and rage she had previously seen between the two of them, and a part of her had to resist the urge to reach out to them and carefully, almost lovingly, stroke their faces. There would not have been a point in do so, so why even bother?

"You think they'll be okay?" she asked.

"Unknown: Without further information, we are unable to come to any conclusions as to what may be the cause of their afflictions," Pod 042 answered.

"Ah…" A2.

"Because of this," Pod 042 continued. "Pod 153 and myself are… worried, and we want them to be okay, after everything that has happened to them."

"Yeah, me too." A2 gave a deep sigh, her eyes briefly glancing between the two pods, and then back to the two androids. "Life's shitty. It beats you down for whatever reason, and more often than not it'll screw you right up the asshole." A2 leaned back, supporting herself on her arms as turned her attention to the sky above them, where the remains of YoRHA floated in orbit, and somewhere out there, deep in space, was the machine arc. Down below her the city was in ruins, the mountains worth of rubble having changed the landscape beyond recognition, but androids and machines were still around, with the fighting between them having been drastically cut down. The machine network was gone, machines no longer attacked on sight, and most of Anemone's resistance was still kicking, trying to make sense of this new world.

Somehow things turned out well. How? She didn't have a clue, but it did.

"Still," A2 said as she pushed herself to her feet, patting away from of the dirt that had build-up on her skin. "I think they'll be okay."

"Query: Do you really think so?" Pod 153 asked.

"Maybe," A2 answered with a shrug. "When they do, let me know, okay?"

"Query: You are not staying?" Pod 042 asked as A2 pushed herself to her feet.

"Nah," was A2's answer as she she made her way to the crumbling exit she had originally come through. "For one, if they wake up, I don't want to risk 2B being in a stabby kind of mood, let her sort things out between 9S and herself before they do anything else. But," A2 looked back to 2B and 9S, eyes lingering on them longer than she would want to admit. "If they do wake up, and it looks like everything is cool with them, send me a message or something. Maybe we could all do with a fresh start?"

With nothing left here for her, beyond some vague hope for a less terrible future, A2 parted ways from them, and hoped for the best.

000

9S cried out in pain as he felt as though it was a physical force that pushed him away from 2B's data, something heavy and hard that almost made him think he had collided with a sidewalk after jumping off a fifty-story building. He tried to move, to support himself up with his arms, but the uncontrollable shaking in his limbs merely sent him back crashing down to the ground in a motionless heap. He did know how long he had been doing this, trying to piece together 2B's data, frame by frame, exposing himself to her own thoughts and feelings, all of which left this terrible weight on him, and it seemed like the further he went on, the more potent the inevitable recoil came whenever he delved in these memories too long, and it took him longer to recover each time.

He saw his deaths, so many of them. She had stabbed him through the back and through the chest, sliced open his throat and cut off his head. He had been strangled, drowned, his flight unit blown up with him, and shot through the head. So many ways to die… It's partially why this was taking so long, the need to process his numerous deaths, the images of his deaths, of his following _disposals_ , almost too much for him to take at once. If he was in his physical body, and he had eaten anything in the last couple of weeks, he might had emptied the contents of his stomach. Then there were the other memories, the good memories of their time together, numerous small and pleasant moments between them, how their relationship built itself up from those early days when she didn't know who he was and didn't care. But time passed, they spent days together, of the small, intimate moments that only they knew about, that meant so much to them. She had been more than happy to listen to him go on about whatever bits of data he had discovered, her headband being the only instance she allowed herself to accept a gift from him. Days spent of them just being together, where the war seemed so far off.

She was the one who came up with Nines.

Though all of this he experienced the emotions she felt; the joys and delights of those small happy moments, and her grief and pain and his deaths, to having to meet him again, some times even the same day, with the dread that they could never escape this cycle. How she held in everything in fear it would overwhelm her, and on top of that there were his own emotions that he could barely handle at the moment.

His own fear and anger at watching himself get cut down, anger and fear he found himself directing towards 2B, which only grew in intensity when he came across those fleeting good memories. His past was important, his memories of 2B the most valuable possessions to the point where he would happily suffer a permanent death than than to have a single one of those memories wiped out. So to see the sheer volume of memories, close to _three years_ of memories, all lost forever, and a deep, dark seed of resentment began to grow deep inside him. How could so many of these memories be stolen away from him? Why would she _do this? Why_ _ **would she-**_

He needed to spend a lot of time between dives and reconstruction, to calm himself down, to put himself back into the right state of mind, and push those thoughts down.

It would be easy to kill her. Just erase all the data. It wouldn't take too much effort on his part.

He won't though, he knows he won't, because he if did that he might as well erase his own data as well.

After he finally managed to find the strength to get back up, 9S dived back it.

He did not know this, but eight days passed on the outside world, and even if he had he couldn't stop.

000

its dark

i know theres something here

i dont know what it is though

[?]

hello?

[!]

what are you

[- - - -]

what i dont understand you what are you saying

[- - - - –? - - - - –?]

sorry i cant hear you please go away

just so tired

[- o- I- - -t-]

just leave

[C-n yo- unde-stan- me now?]

better but i still dont know who you are

[Oh, you don't? Are you certain?]

yeah I dont know much do you know something that can tell me anything

[Okay, so not much to work with right now, so we'll start with the basics. First of all, my name is 9S.]

9s

[Yeah, that's who I am, and you're 2B.]

2b is that who I am

[It is. Does any of this sound familiar to you?]

maybe I cant help but feel as though

…

[2B? Can you still hear me?]

yes im still here its just why dont i remember anything

[You were hurt recently, badly too, it was enough to force you into a shut down state, and almost all your data was corrupted. It took a while, but I was finally able to put everything back to where it was before. You should be up and running, but… ]

but what why do i not have any memories if you fixed me i should know you right

[That's pretty difficult to explain, I'm not actually sure how I should even begin to explain it, but even so I think I can still finish the repairs but you'll have to patient.]

oh

…

can i ask you something

[What is it?]

whatever is wrong with me can you not fix it

[I don't understand.]

if its okay with you can you just leave me here im sorry you wasted your time here

[I'm sorry 2B, but I can't do that.]

why not i dont remember much but i think that this is how its supposed to be im not supposed to come back dont wanna come back

[Don't say that, 2B, if anyone can come back it's you.]

and if i dont want to

[And why wouldn't you want to come back?]

i dont know, but for some reason I think I deserve that I know i deserve this to fade away into the abyss

[No, you don't deserve this, you deserve more than this, 2B, you've already been through too much just to…]

who are you

[What? I already told you, I'm 9S, and I-]

no i mean you are you to me you know me thats clear but just who were we to one another

[You were… you are someone very important to me, and I want nothing more than to get you out of here.]

…

[2B? Please tell me you're still there.]

…

[I just really miss you.]

i did something, didnt i something terrible

[No, you haven't, you just-]

please be honest with me i know youre lying to me but i need to know please

[…]

[Yes. You did some terrible things, but they were mistakes that you wish you didn't do, that you wish you could take back more than anything else.]

what did i do

[…]

9s

[You killed other androids, that was your designation. We were a part of an organization called YoRHa, and your class of androids were built to kill other androids, either because they were infected with a logic virus, captured by machines, or to prevent information leaks.]

i killed others

[You hated it, however, and you wanted to stop more than anything else.]

then why did i not stop if i hated it so much then why would i continue to do it

[That's a lot harder to explain, but I'll put it like this, you made a promise to someone, that you would always be there for them, and they knew his even knowing that you would kill them. They would then be reset, with no memories at all, and things would repeat like that.]

why would someone put themselves thought that why would they make me promise to keep ending their life

[Because despite everything that had happened, they didn't want to spend a life without you.]

this person

[Yeah?]

is it you

[It is.]

then you have to leave me here 9s

[What? What are you say saying, I can't just-]

things are starting to come back to me bits and pieces small memories all coming together to fit back into the places they belonged the more we talk the more i remember

i hurt you so many times but no matter what no matter how much i despaired i never did anything to save you i gave up hope

then i learned why i had to keep doing this

so much suffering all for nothing

its my fault

[No, it's not, it's mine. I should have known when to stop looking, when to stop looking for information when I knew I should not have, if I had known what I had put your through, than I never would have even looked at the server.]

always thinking about me even when im the one causing you pain but no

just leave me

please

i deserve to fade

just please live happily for me

[I'm not leaving you 2B, I just can't, and if you won't let me help you then I'll simply do the next best thing.]

?

[I can't live happily if it's a life without you, so if you won't come back with me, then I'll just stay here with you, you don't even need to talk to me ever again. Just as long as I'm near you, that's enough for me, so just take as much time you feel like you need, and I'll still be here for you.]

…

[…]

000

Time passed. I don't know how much, but I doubt that was the point really. We waited, neither one willing to break the silence, both hoping the other would yield to the others' wishes. How long I wonder, will we wait here?

Eventually, one of us spoke.

000

why bother

knowing who i am

what i have done to you

you would be in your right to leave me to die

even kill me yourself

you would not meet any resistance

so why

[To be honest, I don't know how to really explain how I feel about you. I once looked up old human records, hoping that I could find some kind of reference to help me understand this emotion, but I do know is that being around you, it makes me happy. I know you don't feel like you deserve a second chance, not after everything that has happened to you, but I think you do, more than anyone else deserves a second chance. So please, 2B, come back with me…]

000

Eventually, a decision is reached.

000

i'll go

000

Light filled the dark.

000

The field beneath the shopping district, a small meadow hidden in this cave, with delicate flowers that gave off a soft, ethereally light from the white petals. Legends say that they had the power to grant wishes, so maybe one of those hundreds of flowers, these Lunar Tears, heard her desperate plea and decided to take pity on her. To think, she once had decided to taint this place with his blood, after she had decided to turn it into his next grave, but she is happy such a thing did not happen, that she did not stain this place with her sins.

She hoped Emil found his peace, reunited with the friends he lost so very long ago.

It was in this field that 2B found herself with 9S, the two of them laying down in the field and taking in the peace and serenity this field had to offer as they idly discussed what they were going to do with their future. It's something she never allowed herself to consider, a future without YoRHa, where she did not _have_ to fight, where she was not expected to regularly kill the people she was close too. It was something that scared her, this uncertainty, the prospect that their futures were theirs for their own choosing. 9S had expressed similar fears to her, which alleviated her own anxieties.

They talked about it, her and 9S, what they were going to do with their lives now. They could stay in the city and continue helping the Resistance; According to Anemone, when The Tower fell it took the machine network with it, and since then the remaining machine forces were no longer actively hostile. They passively roamed around the city and the surrounding areas, posing no harm to an androids unless directly provoked, with some even beginning to develop their own sense of self. The war was over, and Anemone had suggested redirecting their war effort to rebuilding the city, to try and make things better, and she had offered the two of them a place with them if they chose so. That was one option they could take, other ideas had come up from time to time. They could simply pick a random direction and walk that way, seeing where their travels could take them, Anemone had even offered them passage on the next supply ship to come in, if they wanted to take their lives overseas.

A2 was also still alive, according to their Pods, somewhere out there, simply waiting to reconnect, and 2B isn't sure what to do with that. Maybe she'll talk to A2 one day, maybe she won't, but right now she doesn't think she's ready for that.

All of that however is left for the future, and right now 2B wanted to focus on the present; Her and 9S down here with no one else around, in their own little world.

She did not know what would come next for them, but for the first time in her life, she was not afraid to hope.

 **the en[D]**

000

ple[A][S]e [B]e well,

Mrfipp


End file.
